Sunny Hills Frustrates Buena Park : Freeway: Lancers win, 54-34, to avenge last month’s loss and move into first-place tie with the Coyotes.

FULLERTON —  Buena Park’s basketball players shaved their heads for a Freeway League showdown with Sunny Hills Friday night, but the Coyotes should have saved their money and razors.

The Lancers cut up Buena Park themselves, avenging a Jan. 17 double-overtime loss to the Coyotes with a 54-34 trouncing in a packed gymnasium at Sunny Hills High School.

Thanks to some stingy defense and 6-foot-7 forward Terry Mann’s 21 points, Sunny Hills (18-4, 6-2 in league) moved into a first-place tie in league with Buena Park (17-5, 6-2).

Sunny Hills began the game in a 1-3-1 zone defense that stifled Buena Park’s offense into making only one of 10 field goal attempts in the first quarter. The Coyotes finished 13 of 49 (27%) from the field and one for 11 from three-point range.

“The kids we’re really up for this one and maybe that worked against us,” Buena Park Coach Ed Matillo said. “That’s as poor as we’ve shot all year, but we’ve won 17 games making those same shots we missed tonight.”

Although Mann scored only four points in the first half, Sunny Hills led, 25-16, at the half. But the Lancers blew the game open in the third quarter.

Mann scored nine in the third quarter, and Sunny Hills used its 1-3-1 zone to hold Buena Park scoreless for six minutes and 48 seconds while building a 38-18 lead.

“We knew we had to try something different (on defense) after that first game,” Sunny Hills Coach Steve White said.

In the Jan. 17 game, Mann, shackled with foul trouble, scored 12 points. While Buena Park point guard Joe Clarkson had 25 points in the first game including five three-pointers, the Lancers held him scoreless Friday on 0-for-6 shooting.

In other league games:

La Habra 58, Fullerton 53--Mike Rowland scored 14 points to lead La Habra (4-16, 1-7) to its first league victory. Andrija Kristich added 13 points and seven rebounds for the Highlanders, who made seven of nine free throws in the last three minutes to hold off Fullerton.

Sonora 65, Troy 64--Troy had the ball with 18 seconds left but failed to get a shot off before time ran out. Chris Campbell had eight points in a row as Sonora (14-9, 5-3) went on a 14-2 run in the third quarter to put Sonora ahead, 49-47, late in the third quarter.