Man Defense Puts Borchart In Zone Against Bellflower

It’s the start of year three for the Scott Borchart era at Chaminade High, and all signs indicate the 6-foot-9 center is better than ever.

He scored four consecutive baskets Wednesday to begin the second half after Bellflower switched to a man-to-man defense and finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and two blocked shots in Chaminade’s 67-55 victory in a second-round game of the Sonora tournament at Sonora High.

Chaminade (2-0) plays Fremont on Friday at 6:30 p.m. in a semifinal game.

“We did the right thing--we went right to Scott,” Coach Jeff Young said.

Both teams were playing zone defenses until Bellflower (3-4) got the erroneous notion that somebody could guard Borchart one-on-one. Suddenly, a two-point Chaminade lead increased to 12. Once Bellflower returned to a zone, the Eagles turned to Ryan Arceo and Tito Hill for three-pointers.

Arceo contributed 18 points and Hill, a transfer from Florida, added 11 points and nine rebounds.

Borchart has helped Chaminade win consecutive Southern Section Division III-A championships. He’s the consummate team player, using screens and passes to get most of his points. He also took two charging fouls Wednesday.

Chaminade received a lift from 6-8 sophomore Jon Todd, who came off the bench with five minutes left after Borchart picked up his fourth foul and grabbed four rebounds while scoring two baskets.

The Eagles, ranked No. 2 in the region by The Times, have played only two games, but the talent is present to excel.

“If we get better, we’re going to be dangerous,” Young said.