Finally, Chaminade to Meet Simi Valley

Bring on the Pioneers.

That was the feeling among Justin Stewart and his Chaminade High teammates after the Eagles defeated Camarillo, 71-57, in a semifinal game of the Simi Valley boys’ basketball tournament Friday night.

Stewart, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound senior forward who is in his fourth season at the varsity level, estimates that Chaminade has an 0-6 record against Simi Valley during that time and he would like nothing better than to end that streak in the championship game tonight at 7:30.

“I believe that is the year that we can beat them,” Stewart said after a 20-point, five-rebound and five-steal performance against Camarillo. “This is the best team that we’ve ever had at Chaminade and I think we have a chance if we come out and play hard like we did tonight.”

Chaminade (3-0) needed an extra-hard effort from each of its players against the Scorpions because 6-5 senior forward Scott Long did not play because of a blister he sustained on his foot during a 76-62 quarterfinal victory over Santa Paula on Wednesday.

Long, a Times’ All-Valley selection last year, had 29 points and 16 rebounds in that game, but his teammates managed nicely in his absence, hitting 28 of 49 shots and limiting Camarillo to a three-of-10 shooting effort in the fourth quarter.

“He could have played tonight,” Chaminade Coach Jeff Young said of Long. “But we kept him out as a precautionary measure because the blister had stopped and we didn’t want it to get any worse.”

With Long sidelined, Chaminade’s starters scored 69 of the Eagles’ 71 points.

The Scorpions (2-1) had cut a 56-47 deficit to 56-51 with 4:15 left, but Chaminade scored six points over the next minute and a half.

Simi Valley 72, Newbury Park 54--The Pioneers went on a 30-9 run over an 11-minute stretch in the second half to turn a one-point deficit into 65-45 lead with two minutes left in the game.

Senior Robert Congelliere scored two consecutive baskets to give Newbury Park a 36-35 lead with five minutes left in the third quarter, but it was all Simi Valley after that.

Junior Kurt Mjoen started the Pioneers’ run with a basket inside and sophomore Branduinn Fullove capped it 11 minutes later with a three-pointer.

Fullove scored 20 points, including nine in the fourth quarter, for Simi Valley and junior center Rafael Berumen had 24 for the Pioneers. Coach Dean Bradshaw’s team (3-0) is looking to win its tournament for the fourth straight time.

Palmdale 82, Santa Barbara 74--The Falcons went on an 11-0 run at the start of the second quarter and a 12-2 spurt to start the third in the 11th-place game.

Kerry Yates scored 28 points and was 13 of 13 from the foul line for the Falcons (2-2).

Evans Smith had 14 and Aaron Winchester scored 11 for Palmdale.

Granada Hills 80, Canoga Park 54--Liston Witherill scored 16 points for the Highlanders (2-2) in the 13th-place game.