DeLaittre’s Career-High 33 Lead Simi Valley, 95-69

Shawn DeLaittre was all talked out by game’s end.

“What can I say, man?” he asked rhetorically. “I just can’t express how I feel. I played great, but I can’t say how great.”

He didn’t have to say anything.

After he had “serious” talks with his father Friday morning and with Simi Valley Coach Bob Hawking on Friday afternoon, DeLaittre’s performance on Friday night in a 95-69 Marmonte League basketball victory over Westlake spoke loud enough.

The 6-5 junior forward scored a career-high 33 points, making 15 of 18 shots, mostly from long range, and added seven rebounds to help keep Simi Valley (21-1, 9-0) in first place.

Meanwhile, Westlake, which played without injured center Dave Heckmann, is 14-5, 5-3.

“My dad and my coach told me it was time to do it,” DeLaittre said. “Taking the outside shot. Rebounding. Playing good defense. What I had to do was take control.”

DeLaittre, who’s is making the transition from playing inside to outside this season, responded particularly well after junior center Don MacLean (32 points) went to the bench with four fouls with 1:01 left in the third period.

Simi Valley led, 61-54. That’s when DeLaittre, who had already scored 17 points in the first half, asserted himself. Offensively, he made six of Simi Valley’s next seven baskets. Defensively, he had three rebounds.

“He answered the challenge; he was the dominant factor,” Hawking said. “We’ve had a couple of talks in the last few days. Going from post to outside is a challenge for any kid. But he’s really starting to respond. The residue of the talks showed.”

As a result, Simi Valley made a game that had been close for almost three quarters, into a blowout. A 63-55 Simi Valley lead at the end of the third quarter turned into a 76-61 lead midway in the final period.

“At the end, we tried to get it all at once, which you can’t do against a good team,” Westlake Coach Roy Gilmore said of his team, which had four players score in double figures.