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Chaminade Gets Well With Stingy Defense

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SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

Star forward Scott Borchart was struggling to breathe and in the second half he couldn’t play.

But Chaminade High’s suffocating defense provided Borchart some much-needed rest and allowed the Eagles to wear down Estancia, 58-34, in a first-round Southern Section Division III-A boys’ basketball playoff game Friday night at Chaminade.

Chaminade (22-4), ranked No. 3 in the region by The Times and the defending Division III-A champion, used its height advantage to clamp down on Estancia’s perimeter-based offense.

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Estancia (11-16) struggled to find openings and made only 11 of 46 shots, including a two-for-19 effort from three-point range. Chaminade outrebounded Estancia, 41-26.

Borchart, who attended school Friday for the first time in a week, attempted to play despite severe bronchitis. The effort was gallant and he managed to score six points to help the Eagles build a 23-13 lead at halftime.

But the 6-foot-9 Borchart, who came in averaging 16.2 points a game, was visibly weak. Several of his shots were feeble and late in the second quarter he failed to get the ball above the rim on a wide-open dunk attempt.

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“He wanted to try and play,” Chaminade Coach Jeff Young said. “But he didn’t have it in the wheels.”

Borchart actually slowed his teammates down.

Chaminade sprinted out to an 18-5 lead but did not make a field goal during a five-minute stretch in the second quarter, allowing Estancia to pull to within 19-13.

Estancia’s Peter Anderson made a three-pointer to spark an 8-1 run.

But Estancia couldn’t get any closer.

“I just told them that we had to make every offensive possession count,” Young said.

Chaminade turned the game into a rout in the third quarter, using its stingy defense to create easy transition baskets.

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Chaminade’s Ryan Arceo scored seven of his nine points during the first three minutes of the third quarter, making a three-point shot and scoring on a pair of drives to the basket.

Chaminade finished the quarter with a 12-2 run.

Cayce Cook, who had 11 points, was the only Chaminade player to score in double figures. Thirteen Chaminade players scored.

On defense, Cook provided scrappy pressure at the top and 6-11 J.J. Todd bogged down the middle.

“We knew who was going to shoot the ball for them,” Young said. “And when 5-foot-10 guys have to shoot over 6-3 guys, its going to be difficult.”

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