Santa Clara Has Twice the Fun
An inquisitive fan, most likely an out-of-towner, had a simple question at halftime.
“Which one’s which?” he asked, aware of their reputation, but not knowing which face went with which name.
Indeed, the distinction between B.J. Ward and Nick Jones of Santa Clara High was less clear than usual on Tuesday night.
Near mirror images on the court, Jones scored 26 points, Ward scored 24 and the Saints Clara scored an 86-43 victory over La Jolla Country Day in the first round of the Southern Regional Division V boys’ basketball tournament at Santa Clara.
Top-seeded Santa Clara (27-3) gained special satisfaction by defeating a team from the San Diego area. Last year, the Saints were eliminated in the regional tournament by a lopsided loss to San Diego Horizon.
“That’s been in their craw for a year,” Coach Lou Cvijanovich of Santa Clara said.
Ward and Jones pounded that home to their teammates Monday at practice.
“We were intimidated last year,” Ward said at practice, before promoting the Santa Clara vs. San Diego attitude. “We need to show them that we’re going to get up for the tough games, that we’re not going to let them come in here and get a [victory on the way to the] championship.”
Country Day (20-8) was never in the game.
Santa Clara allowed only five points in the first and third quarters, en route to a 66-26 lead after three quarters.
The Saints were efficient on offense, making 21 of 29 shots in the first half. And they were stingy on defense, allowing Country Day to score on consecutive possessions only once until the fourth quarter.
Ward and Jones took turns topping each other, the 6-foot-1 Ward throwing down a dunk in the second quarter, the 6-4 Jones making consecutive three-pointers in the third quarter.
“That team’s awesome,” Coach Paul Wilson of Country Day said. “That team is well-oiled.”
Country Day, where former Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam went to school, was too young--two freshmen and a sophomore were in the lineup--and too small to mount a challenge.
“My little 5-10 guys are trying to make baskets against bigger guys that are skilled on defense,” Wilson said. “They’ve got good players all the way through. I’m not upset at all.”
Cvijanovich extended the California record for career victories, winning his 825th game in 41 seasons.
Santa Clara will host No. 4-seeded Price (27-2), a 71-67 overtime winner over Pasadena Poly, in a second-round game Thursday night.
Price defeated Antelope Valley Christian, 77-60, last week to win the Southern Section Division V-A championship.
Price, located in South-Central Los Angeles, is an athletic team that will have a definite height advantage over Santa Clara.
Othel Johnson, a 6-5 forward, scored 20 points for Price against Antelope Valley Christian.
