Prep Basketball : Orange League : Valencia Pays Attention to Brea Duo, Still Pays Price

Brea-Olinda High School basketball Coach Gene Lloyd has a suggestion for those who pay attention only to his talented scoring pair, David Fox and Kevin Walker.

Watch his team play defense.

When 6-foot 9-inch Walker and 6-5 Fox put their hands up, nothing gets through. If it’s a steal Brea needs, guard Vincent Francis is the player. And the entire team is allergic to allowing points. In the 16 of 17 Brea victories, the opponents have scored less than 48 points.

Valencia did no better. The Tigers lost, 56-43, to the Wildcats in front of 750 fans Wednesday night at Brea.

Valencia (3-2, 11-7) was aggressive and scrappy, but Brea (5-0, 17-4) outdid the Tigers. Both coaches prowled the sideline. Lloyd, as is his habit, shouted through a tube of rolled papers, and Valencia’s Al Rodriguez alternately squatted and paced. So heated were the exchanges between Rodriguez and the officials, that late in the game the Valenica coach was assessed a technical.

With its victory, Brea seemingly built a wall around first place. Some believe it is built around Fox and Walker alone. No way, says Lloyd.

“Fox and Walker are such outstanding players that they are in the limelight,” Lloyd said. “But we are not a two-man team. Francis is an outstanding athlete. Eric Jones does everything we ask him to do. (Tony) Barcelo is scoring for us.

“I believe our defense is the most overlooked part of our team. We simply don’t allow teams to score against us.”

Valencia only trailed 23-21 at halftime with the help of perimeter shooting by Norman Nakawaki, but that didn’t hold up. Nakawaki was limited to seven points for the game.

Something else changed in the second half. Walker and Fox, who had been shut down in the first half, adjusted to the Tiger defense designed to keep the ball from the two big inside players. Fox and Walker dominated the second half.

“I really expected very much of what they did,” Lloyd said. “I thought they would try to keep the ball away from Fox and Walker, as everyone has. In the second half, we did a good job of being patient and waiting for our shots. Also, we handled it better offensively.”

Brea pulled away with five minutes left in the third quarter on Barcelo’s jumper that gave the Wildcats a 32-25 lead. Barcelo hit another jumper to end the quarter with Brea leading, 38-30.

Francis, who finished with 11 points, had six in the fourth quarter to pace Brea. Walker led all scorers with 17 points, Barcelo and Fox each had 13. Geoff Adams had 12 points to lead Valencia.

VALENCIA (43)--Nakawaki 7, Jones 8, Adams 12, Rojo 4, Jensen 10, LaRue 2.

BREA (56)--Barcelo 13, Fox 13, Francis 11, Tousey 2, Walker 17.

In Orange League action: Savanna 60, Western 57--Tim Pittman, who scored a game-high 31 points and added 15 rebounds, made four free throws in the last few minutes of the game to secure the Rebels’ home victory. Savanna improves to 4-1, 15-6.

Western (2-3, 7-12) was paced by Joe Burris’ 15 points. Pioneers’ Coach Greg Hoffman was ejected from the game in the second quarter after the third technical foul was called against him.

SAVANNA (60)--Pittman 31, Madas 12, Veale 2, Hoffman 12, Koh 2, Smith 1.

WESTERN (57)--Cate 5, Joseph 5, LaMorte 14, Bush 11, Chase 4, Allen 2, Burris 15.

Anaheim 64, Magnolia 38--The Colonists outscored the Sentinels by 19 points in the second and third quarter to gain the victory. Steve Mispagel scored 11 of his game-high 17 points in the second and third periods. The 6-2 center also had 12 rebounds. Phil Garabedian added 16 points and had 7 rebounds for Anaheim (1-4, 3-13). Carlos Gonzales led Magnolia (0-5, 0-15) with 16 points. Anaheim will play at Valencia on Friday.

MAGNOLIA (38)--Ryan 4, Gonzales 16, Underwood 6, Banuelos 4, Osuna 4, Gorrien 2, Tran 2.

ANAHEIM (64)--Buis 11, Mispagel 17, Robuffo 8, Cowhig 2, Van Alfen 2, Carmona 6, Pachecho 2, Garabedian 16.