Rumors of Pagett’s Retirement From Santa Ana Are Exaggerated

The successful postseason performance of the Santa Ana men’s basketball team has cut into Dana Pagett’s retirement from coaching, but he really doesn’t mind.

Pagett told his players at the start of the season this would be his last and it has become their rallying cry.

Santa Ana has an 11-game winning streak and is headed to Bakersfield for a showdown at 7 p.m. Saturday that will determine a berth in the March 12-14 state tournament at UC Irvine. Santa Ana is seeded eighth in Southern California and Bakersfield is No. 1.

Pagett, in his 15th season at Santa Ana and 25th overall in coaching, has refused to be sentimental about his final season or even his final game--a 91-74 victory over Los Angeles Trade Tech Wednesday--at Santa Ana.

Pagett said he hadn’t even thought about it until a television reporter mentioned it. Instead, he’s concentrating on preparing his team to play Bakersfield.

Bakersfield (29-3) is coming off a 83-76 victory over Imperial Valley and is led by sophomore 6-foot-10 center Brandon Kurtz, who averages 19 points and 12 rebounds.

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Three Orange County teams--Fullerton, Irvine Valley and Orange Coast--are a victory away from the state women’s basketball tournament, which starts March 12 at Concordia and then moves to UC Irvine the next two days.

Irvine Valley plays at 7 tonight and has the most difficult assignment. The Lasers, seeded ninth, travel to top-seeded and two-time defending state champion Ventura (33-1). Orange Coast (24-9) and Fullerton (26-8) play at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Ventura is coming off a controversial 74-73 victory over Los Angeles Valley, which protested the outcome because the clock was slow in starting in the closing seconds, allowing the host Pirates a chance to score the winning points.

The protest was denied Wednesday and the matchup stands, making this the second trip to Ventura for Irvine Valley which lost, 82-58, on Dec. 20. Irvine Valley has solid team health for the first time in six weeks.

Orange Coast, seeded fourth, has the advantage of playing at home against No. 5 Canyons (27-7). Sophomore guard Jennifer Ludwicki scored 30 points in a 76-57 victory over Hancock Wednesday.

It was the eighth time that she has scored 30 or more in a game this season.

Fullerton, which uses a center and four-guard offense that has presented matchup problems for most opponents, is at No. 3 Pasadena (25-3).

Sophomore guard Heather Floyd needs three assists to set the Fullerton all-time women’s record, which is 386 and held by Sandy Cotton (1984-86). The Hornets are also 22-0 when leading at the half.