Santa Clara Keeps Its Coach Going

An hour before what very well could have been his last game, Lou Cvijanovich sat on the end of the bench wearing his trademark red socks and watched his players warm up.

The winningest boys’ basketball coach in California history then spoke.

“They’ll put on a show,” said the Santa Clara coach, repeating the phrase in case it wasn’t heard properly. “They’ll put on a show.”

Maybe it takes more than 41 years of coaching to predict the immediate future, never an easy task when teenagers are involved, but Cvijanovich wasn’t entirely correct.

The Saints put on more than a show.

More like a runnin’ revue, a scintillating demonstration of speed and more speed as Santa Clara defeated Pacific Hills, 77-56, in a Southern Section Division V-AA semifinal Tuesday night at Oxnard College.

Nick Jones scored a career-high 34 points, which is among many reasons why second-seeded Santa Clara (25-3) will play top-seeded Pasadena Poly (27-0) in the V-AA championship game Friday at the Bren Center at UC Irvine.

B.J. Ward, who will join Jones next year at UC Santa Barbara, added 20 points for Santa Clara, which actually trailed at one point, 4-2.

By halftime, Santa Clara held a 40-17 lead and Pacific Hills, the defending state Division V champion, never really got back into the game.

Afterward, Cvijanovich, who has contemplated retirement after this season, only wanted to think about the first half.

“That first half was the greatest first half a Santa Clara team has ever played,” said Cvijanovich, who paused before wryly adding, “Since I’ve been around, anyway.”

Well, Cvijanovich should know. He has won 823 games since becoming the Saints’ coach in 1958.

Santa Clara forced turnovers, flew up and down the court and, in the upset of the night, outrebounded its taller opponent. Jones had 16 rebounds, helping the Saints avenge an 82-76 loss last year to Pacific Hills in the V-AA championship game.

“We were ready this time,” Jones said. “We knew all their little secrets.”

The worst-kept secret on the court was the rebounding edge third-seeded Pacific Hills (23-7) should have had.

“We’ll be lucky to keep them off the boards,” Cvijanovich said before the game.

Instead, Santa Clara fought for inside position, forcing Pacific Hills into foul trouble. At halftime, Pacific Hills had 12 fouls, Santa Clara had three.

“We take responsibility for that,” Coach John Bobich of Pacific Hills said. “We kept getting ourselves out of position [for rebounds].

“I felt we would have to play a perfect game to beat them. Unfortunately, it took us too long to get started.”

Pacific Hills closed to within 46-32 on a steal and layup by Ryan Abrahams, who scored 24 points, with 2:06 left in the third quarter.

But center Terrance Dotsy of Santa Clara, who had nine points and seven rebounds before fouling out, helped turn the tide on a rebound and a lay-in.

Ward’s buzzer-beating layup after a steal put Santa Clara up, 52-34, at the end of the third quarter.

Santa Clara clinched a berth in the state tournament, which starts next week.

“I’m just playing now for coach,” Jones said. “I want to send him out good if this is his last year.”