Chaminade Cooks Up a Playoff Dish

The way Cayce Cook has carried Chaminade High on his shoulders through the playoffs, his teammates should be calling him “Clutch.”

Cook scored his 12 points in the second half, helping Chaminade overcome an 11-point deficit to beat San Diego St. Augustine, 53-46, on Tuesday night in a Southern California Regional first-round game at Chaminade.

Cook, the Eagles’ leading scorer in four playoff games, came up big again three days after leading Chaminade to a 45-40 victory over Corona del Mar in the Southern Section Division III-A final.

“It’s become a thing in the playoffs, I guess,” said Cook, a 5-foot-8 senior point guard. “I really don’t want to end the season on a loss--especially at home.”

Chaminade (25-4), which will play at Fresno Washington Union in a semifinal game on Thursday, seemed headed for a loss early, making only five of 26 (19%) shots in the first half.

Fresno Washington Union defeated Corona del Mar, 83-53, on Tuesday.

St. Augustine (20-9) jumped to an 8-0 lead and led by 11 points late in the second quarter, thanks partly to Chaminade’s one-for-14 shooting in the first quarter.

“But we were getting good shots,” Coach Jeff Young of Chaminade said. “I’m never going to take the ball out of their hands when they’re getting good looks.”

The Eagles looked like a different team after halftime.

Scott Borchart, who made one of four shots with one rebound in the first half, was a man on a mission in the second half.

He dived for loose balls, forced turnovers and ent to the basket with the authority his 6-foot-9, 210-pound frame affords him. Borchart was the Eagles’ second-leading scorer with nine points.

“I have not seen him go after loose balls like he did tonight,” Young said.

The Eagles chipped away at St. Augustine’s lead in the third quarter by forcing five turnovers and penetrating the Saints’ 2-3 zone.

Chris Canoles’ two free throws with 1:34 remaining capped the scoring in the third quarter and got Chaminade to within 38-35.

J.J. Todd, who finished with eight points, gave Chaminade its first lead, 39-38, with a 15-foot baseline jumper early in the fourth quarter.

St. Augustine tied the score, 39-39, on a free throw by Jamaal Williams, but the Saints never recaptured the lead. Williams, who picked up his fourth foul seconds into the third quarter, finished with 20 points, 14 in the second half.

A 7-2 run gave Chaminade a 46-41 advantage. St Augustine, which made 12 of 26 shots (46%) in the first half, couldn’t get shots to fall in the fourth quarter, making only two of 14.

The Saints missed four of five three-point shots in the final minute and Chaminade maintained its lead by sinking five of eight free throws in the same span.

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STATE PLAYOFFS

Southern Regional

BOYS, FIRST ROUND

Division I

* Artesia 72, Fairfax 64

* Glendora 61, Clovis West 58

* Manual Arts 67, Long Beach Poly 57

* Mater Dei 79, Bonita Vista 53

Division II

* Dominguez 100, East Bakersfield 51

* Inglewood 73, Escondido Orange Glen 67

* Mayfair 66, San Diego Serra 49

* Fresno Edison 71, Gahr 60

Division III

* Fresno Washington 83, Corona del Mar 53

* Chaminade 53, S.D. St. Augustine 46

* S.D. University 49, Bishop Montgomery 46

* San Dimas 66, Exeter 43

Division IV

* S.D. Horizon 75, Twentynine Palms 62

* Crossroads 81, Chowchilla 71

* Serra 59, La Jolla Bishop’s 55

* Verbum Dei 87, Corcoran 42

Division V

* Santa Clara 86, La Jolla Country Day 43

* Price 71, Pasadena Poly 67 (OT)

* El Cajon Chrstn 55, Reedley Immanuel 54

* Coast Union 74, Antelope Vly Christian 50

*

GIRLS, FIRST ROUND

Division I

* Palisades 53, San Clemente 40

* Oceanside El Camino 54, El Toro 51

* Hanford 69, Moreno Valley 48

* Peninsula 59, Washington 46

Division II

* Brea Olinda 91, La Jolla 39

* Bishop Amat 70, Bakersfield North 60

* Foothill 56, San Diego University City 41

* Fresno Edison 83, Culver City 73

Division III

* Rosary 72, San Diego University 45

* Morningside 59, Dinuba 39

* Harvard-Westlake 73, S.D. Kearny 62

* Wasco 59, Ganesha 56

Division IV

* Calvary Chapel 63, S.D. Horizon 33

* Morro Bay 55, Corcoran 46

* Crossroads 56, Taft 40

* La Jolla Bishop’s 46, Cerritos Vly Chr. 33

Division V

* Mission Prep 52, Western Christian 43

* Pilgrim 52, San Diego Francis Parker 41

* Santa Fe Chr. 64, Central Vly Chr. 59

* Chadwick 58, Apple Valley 46