Chaminade Gets Well With Stingy Defense

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.

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.

“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.

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.”