Fairfax Is Hot Enough Without Burns

Los Angeles Fairfax played without 6-foot-8 forward Evans Burns, its tallest player and leading scorer, but it didn’t seem to matter to the Lions, who bounced host Carlsbad, 65-49, in a Southern California Regional Division I first-round boys’ basketball game Wednesday night in front of 2,000 at Carlsbad High.

The UCLA-bound Burns, who averaged 23 points this season, cut a finger on his right hand Tuesday night on a drinking glass, opening two cuts that required 14 stitches.

Freshman Jamal Boykin came off the bench to score a team-high 13 points for Fairfax. Kevin Bell and Thomas Woods each had 11 and Jahsha Bluntt finished with 10.

“We had confidence in our other players because we’ve played nine deep all year,” Fairfax Coach Harvey Kitani said.

The Lions trailed, 20-15, at the end of the first quarter and were behind by one with four minutes to play in the first half. A 13-2 run during a three-minute span turned the Lions’ deficit into a 38-28 lead. They opened the third quarter with an 11-3 run.

Fairfax (30-4) may have Burns back for Saturday’s semifinal game against Long Beach Poly. “He’s day-to-day,” said Kitani.

Tim Dermody

*

Westchester 89, Thousand Oaks 52--Hassan Adams scored 21 points and the Comets (29-2) won a Division I first-round game at Westchester.

Keith Everage and Trevor Ariza each added 12 points for Westchester, which led, 73-31, after three quarters. The Comets will play Clovis West, a 69-58 winner over Rialto Eisenhower, in the second round. Kevin Rex had 14 points for Thousand Oaks (27-5).

Santa Ana Mater Dei 89, Escondido 70--Harrison Schaen led five Mater Dei players in double figures with 17 points and the Monarchs (28-4) won the Division III game at Ocean View High. Schaen also had a game-high 13 rebounds for top-seeded Mater Dei, which won its 21st consecutive game.

Escondido (21-8) built a five-point lead in a frenetic first quarter and trailed, 32-30, in the second quarter following a three-pointer from Justin Bell, but Mater Dei answered back with an 18-5 run to close the half and never looked back.

Mike Haubrich

*

Torrance Bishop Montgomery 89, San Diego Kearney 49--The Knights (25-6) rolled to a 25-5 lead after one quarter and coasted to the Division III victory at Bishop Montgomery.

Fred Washington scored 25 points, Gavin Lee had 21 and Brandon Peace added 17 as Bishop Montgomery shot 53% from the field and made 10 three-pointers.

Eric Stephens

*

Fresno Washington Union 66, La Puente Bishop Amat 63--The host Lancers missed seven of 10 free throws in the final 22 seconds and lost their Division III game.

Sophomore guard Dwight O’ Neal of Washington (24-5) scored 17 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, hitting 11 of 14 free throws in the quarter. John Haywood scored 11 of his 26 points in the fourth to lead Bishop Amat (25-7).

Dan Arritt

*

North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake 66, Gardena Serra 64--Freshman Ed White made a 15-foot baseline jumper as the buzzer sounded to give the Wolverines (27-5) a Division IV victory at Harvard-Westlake.

Serra (26-5), which trailed by 12 points at halftime, outscored the Wolverines, 20-2, to start the third quarter and take a 44-38 lead. Harvard-Westlake scored the final 11 points of the quarter to retake the lead.

Eugene Jeter, who scored 20 points for Serra, missed on a three-point attempt with six seconds left. The Wolverines got the rebound and raced upcourt, getting the ball to White, who had 10 points, for the game-winner. Bryce Taylor led Harvard-Westlake with 20 points.

Eric Sondheime

*r

L.A. Verbum Dei 71, Fresno San Joaquin Memorial 69--Richard Chaney had 29 points and 12 rebounds to lead the third-seeded Eagles (28-3) to a Division IV victory at home. Michael Pagan added 15 and Martin Starr had 13 points and five rebounds.

Memorial’s Antonio Lawrence, who had 22 points, was fouled on a last-season, three-point shot but missed two of his three free throws attempts.