Santa Ana Winning Streak Puts Tape in Positive Frame of Mind

The scoring output of Santa Ana forward Lohnnie Tape is nearly the same as last season, but he has a much better outlook.

Tape averaged an Orange Empire Conference-best 22.5 points last season and is at 23 this season.

He also has 1,230 points in his career and needs four points to set the college’s all-time record. Edgar Wickliffe (1977-79) holds the mark at 1,233.

But no individual accomplishment is likely to make the normally easy-going Tape smile as much as the team’s current five-game winning streak. The Dons are tied for first with Fullerton with four games left.

“Last year,” Tape said, “Coach [Dana Pagett] didn’t tell me to go out and score, score, score, but that’s pretty much what I had to do. This year, we have a lot more options.”

Among those options is sophomore forward Mark Saukkola, who is averaging 15 points.

Still, the first option is Tape, who is usually quicker and taller than his opponent.

He has also worked hard to develop an outside shot to make him more effective when he moves to a four-year college. He already has recruiting trips arranged at Arizona State and Washington State.

Tape spent last summer lifting weights and working on his defense.

“He’s really improved his consistency,” Pagett said. “He can score inside and outside and he can handle the ball and pass the ball. For somebody 6-7, he can sure do a lot of different things.”

Tape has had a knack for scoring since grade school. But he arrived at Santa Ana relatively unheralded because he averaged about 12 points at Esperanza, playing in the shadow of Josh Greer (averaging 24 points).

Greer was the Empire League’s most valuable player and earned a scholarship to St. Mary’s, where he’s starting. Tape was an all-league pick and had his choice of community colleges.

When Greer broke his foot near the end of the season, Tape scored 24 and 29 points in consecutive playoff games.

“It was frustrating for me,” Tape said of his high school days. “But I knew I had a role and didn’t want to go out there and just fire the ball. I’m not mad at anybody. I’m just happy with the situation I’m in now.”