Inglorious Exit by Hart Sustains Jinx

Senior forward Randy Roa cited typical culprits--poor shooting and inability to adjust to a zone defense--for second-seeded Hart High’s quick exit from the Southern Section Division I-A playoffs.

But Roa, who averaged 11.9 points and led Hart with 12 Saturday night in the Indians’ second-round, 65-49 loss to Palmdale, said the biggest factor might be a playoff jinx.

“We never seem to get past the second round,” Roa said. “It was in the back of my mind. I had to block it out. But as time was running down, I said to myself, ‘I can’t believe this is happening again.’ ”

Hart won Foothill League championships in 1992 and 1993 but lost in the second round of the playoffs both seasons.

It’s not that Hart, the area’s No. 1-ranked team by The Times for most of the season, was facing a decided underdog in the second round after a first-round bye. Palmdale was 23-3 and lost to Hart by three points in December. But Roa cited the Bermuda Triangle effect: Hart disappears in the playoffs.

“We got the shots we wanted, but we just missed them,” Roa said. “We had the height advantage, but it seemed like they were getting all the rebounds.

“Me, Brian (Ballew) and Eric (Spindt), we couldn’t believe it. It didn’t seem right. We expected so much from ourselves. We had a great season. We were one of the best Hart teams ever. I thought we were peaking. I thought we would be making it to the finals.”

Spindt said the Jan. 17 earthquake also contributed to Hart’s misfortune. Because of freeway damage and the cancellation of four league games, the Indians missed a chance to set the school record for victories (25) and might not have drawn Palmdale in their first playoff game.

“We probably wouldn’t have had Palmdale in our bracket,” Spindt said, “but (the Southern Section) decided to seed teams geographically because of the earthquake. But that’s no excuse for us losing.”

MARMONTE LEAGUE

The Best-Laid Plans . . .

The Channel Islands girls’ basketball team was seeded second in the Southern Section Division I-A playoffs and aiming for an eventual championship matchup with its nearby rival, top-seeded Buena.

Those plans crashed after a surprising 55-53 second-round loss to Cerritos on Saturday night.

“We blew it, royally,” Coach Don Salado said.

With the score tied, 53-53, the Raiders fouled a Cerritos player at the top of the lane as she was beginning to drive to the basket. The two Cerritos free throws ended the Raiders’ season.

Salado did not hang the loss on that play because his team committed many uncharacteristic mistakes, including a technical foul and two turnovers when the inbound passer stepped over the line.

“Darn it,” Salado said. “We kind of let things slip away.”

MID-VALLEY LEAGUE

Identity Crisis

Coach Jose Fernandez, you just guided Sylmar to its first basketball league title in the school’s 33-year history. Guess the Spartans are the big guys on campus now, huh?

“To tell you the truth, I don’t know if anybody knows,” Fernandez said.

“We’ve got football here and the girls’ basketball team is doing incredibly well. . . . I don’t think anybody is aware of it.”

EAST VALLEY LEAGUE

Dynamic Duo

Grant Coach Howie Levine calls brothers Ron and Don Patterson an unexpected gift, packaged twice.

“They’re the greatest thing that’s happened to me since I’ve been at Grant,” Levine said. “They are just great kids. They work hard, they’ve got great heart. . . . They’re just fabulous.”

Levine was happy to have the Patterson brothers when the basketball season opened. Now, eight games since leading scorer and rebounder Rick Forscutt moved to Utah, Levine is ecstatic about his dynamic duo.

Ron Patterson, a 6-foot junior guard, has been on a scoring tear since Forscutt moved last month. Ron is averaging 18.6 points in the past eight games, nearly twice as many as his 11.3 average through the first 15 games.

Don Patterson, a 6-1 sophomore, pulled down 16 of the Lancers’ 32 rebounds in a two-point overtime loss to North Hollywood. He is averaging 12.2 rebounds in his last five games.

Around the Leagues . . .

* North Hollywood has won 33 East Valley League games without a loss since seniors Fantasia Johnson and Damon Ollie made the team as sophomores.

* Mid-Valley League boys’ basketball teams make up 25% of the City Section 3-A Division playoffs, including Sylmar (8-4 in league play), Poly (7-5), Monroe (7-5) and Birmingham (6-6)).

* Birmingham’s Tony Silberfeld has taken 31 charging fouls in 17 games.

* Quartz Hill freshman Jackie Johnson had 50 points and 30 rebounds in the Rebels’ two Division I-A playoff victories last week. Against Rialto on Saturday, the 6-foot center had 26 points and 20 rebounds.

* Newbury Park, giant killers: On Feb. 8, the Panthers girls’ basketball team ended Channel Islands’ 20 game-winning streak and finished the regular season 21-4.

Newbury Park was rewarded with a Division III first-round playoff game against last season’s champion, Morningside. Undaunted, Newbury Park defeated the Monarchs, 42-32.

Kennedy Cosgrove and staff writers Jeff Fletcher, Dana Haddad and Paige A. Leech contributed to this notebook.