Sage Hill presses the issue

Barry Faulkner

Turnabout was a welcome relief for the Sage Hill School boys

basketball team Friday, as the Lightning used the same full-court

pressure that had been afflicting its early season to run past

nonleague visitor Rio Contiguo, 70-37.

The hosts (4-7) trailed, 11-7, after one quarter and were ahead

only 25-21 at halftime. But a 21-0 run in the third quarter, in which

they outscored the Eagles, 27-3, helped them establish control and

earn the second-most lopsided victory in the program’s two varsity

seasons.

The press, which forced eight third-quarter turnovers and 13 in

the first 12 minutes of the second half, helped ignite Sage Hill. The

hosts, showing signs of their 13-day layoff, had some early trouble

with the Eagles (1-7).

“We’ve been suffering from the press, so tonight was a

turnaround,” Sage Hill Coach Steve Keith said.

Sage Hill committed 39 turnovers in a 56-37 loss to Saddleback

Dec. 19. Since then, the Lightning has won two straight, with senior

Michael Fitzhugh leading the way.

Fitzhugh, who scored a career-high 35 points in the Dec. 21

victory over El Monte, scored 21 of his team’s first 23 points Friday

and finished the third quarter with his game-high 29. The 6-foot-3

“point center” also added 13 rebounds, five assists and three blocked

shots. He made 12 of 20 field-goal attempts and 5 of 6 foul shots to

up his season scoring average to 23.1.

“Even though we have a team that isn’t as balanced as we’d like to

be, Michael really does a good job of letting the game come to him,”

Keith said. “He had some nice assists for us, which is why we’ve been

playing him at the point the last three games. He’s so strong with

the ball. He’s strong everywhere.”

Fitzhugh created some of his shots off the dribble and collected

most of his buckets inside 10 feet, carrying the load until his

teammates joined in after halftime. Fitzhugh had 14 of the

Lightning’s 18 points in the second period, to help overcome a

scrappy Rio Contiguo unit.

After Rio’s Louis Beazley scored with 6:12 left in the third

quarter, pulling the Santa Ana-based Eagles within 31-23, the

visitors went 9:41 without a field goal, with only one free throw to

break the drought.

Kevin Joyce added 14 points off the bench for the winners, who

also received eight points from Scott Cho. Fitzhugh was the only

traditional starter to open the game for the Lightning, as Keith said

he sat the others after they showed up late.

Only Sage Hill’s 60-22 victory over Saddleback Valley Christian

last season surpassed Friday’s victory margin.

The Lightning visits Tesoro Monday for a nonleague clash at 7 p.m.

Justin Rhoads led the Eagles with 20 points, including five

three-pointers.