Orange League : Western Earns Trip to Playoffs With 71-58 Win Over Valencia
Senior forward Troy Joseph scored 23 points and Chris Bowen added 15 to lead Western High to a 71-58 win over Valencia High Friday night. The victory gives the Pioneers their first trip to the CIF playoffs under third-year Coach Greg Hoffman.
Western gained its berth the hard way, winning its final three league games to tie Valencia for second place in the Orange League with a 5-5 record. But the Pioneers will go into the playoffs as the league’s third-place team after Western lost a coin toss with the Tigers immediately following the game.
“I tell ya,” Western Coach Greg Hoffman said after the game, “I really don’t care how we go in the playoffs. I’m just glad we finally got invited to the party (the playoffs).”
Joseph enjoyed possibly his best game of the year, with 11 rebounds and 6 assists in addition to his 23 points.
What’s even more remarkable is that Joseph has been bothered by tendinitis in his knees and has missed several games this season.
“Troy was his usual steady self again tonight,” said Hoffman. “He really played well in the first half and always seemed to be there with the big fourth-quarter rebounds when we needed them.
“I think collectively, this has to be our best game so far,” Hoffman said. “We had outstanding performances from Chuck Powell (12 points) and Pat Bush (13 points and eight rebounds). Bush must have played the best game of his life. We’ve just been waiting for him to put some good games together and he has done just that the last three times out.”
The turning point for the Pioneers came midway in the third quarter when the Tigers cut Western’s eight-point lead to one at 42-41. Joseph scored three of Western’s four baskets in a 8-2 run which put the Pioneers ahead 50-43 at the end of the third quarter.
For the Tigers (5-5, 13-9), forward Dennis Burbank had 23 points and guard David La Rue added 12 points.
Brea-Olinda 58, Magnolia 48--The Sentinels led by as many as eight points in the third quarter but, because of foul trouble, finally fell to the Wildcats. Magnolia starter Mike Goff fouled out in the third quarter and Mark Lyons (24 points and 13 rebounds) played the whole fourth quarter with four fouls. Senior forward Kevin Walker scored 19 points for Brea-Olinda (10-0, 22-4) and junior guard Ron Thomas added 16. Junior guard Victor Banuelos scored 10 points for Magnolia (3-7, 8-14).
