HIGH SCHOOL NOTEBOOK

Poor shooting, particularly from three-point range, played a major role in Simi Valley’s 64-46 loss to Claremont in the second round of the Division I-A playoffs on Tuesday.

The host Pioneers (20-9) made only 30.8% of their shots from the field and were a horrendous 16.7% (four of 24) from three-point range.

“If we’re not sticking a few of those shots from outside, then we can’t open up the inside,” Coach Christian Aurand of Simi Valley said. “It allows the other team to sag in on Dustin [Villepigue] in the middle.”

Villepigue, a 6-foot-9 center who has committed to Gonzaga, averaged 23.8 points during the regular season, but was held to 10 against Claremont.

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Simi Valley’s loss to Claremont snapped a four-year streak in which the Pioneers had advanced to at least the quarterfinal round of the playoffs, but they did post their fifth consecutive 20-win season with a 70-54 victory over Canyon in the first round.

Simi Valley has compiled a 124-26 record during that stretch. The Pioneers were 23-4 during the 1996-97 season, 25-6 in 1997-98, 28-3 in 1998-99, 28-4 in 1999-00 and 20-9 this season.