HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : South Gate Routs Grant, 60-34

Competing without its top two point guards, the Van Nuys Grant High boys’ basketball team tried playing keep away against South Gate in a City Division 4-A first-round playoff game Wednesday night.

Grant’s stalling tactic frustrated the Rams in the first half. But South Gate changed its defensive strategy in the second half and turned a four-point halftime lead into a 60-34 victory at South Gate.

Miguel Villegas, a 6-foot-3 guard, led South Gate (23-3) with 21 points, 6-3 forward Eric Wright added 11 and 6-6 forward Sai Tuialii 10.

South Gate, ranked No. 20 by The Times, admittedly was a little overconfident in the first half after having defeated Grant, 57-31, in a nonleague game Feb. 17 “They thought Grant would be petrified and lay down and die,” South Gate Coach Tak Aoki said. “I told them if they did not concentrate, they would get upset.”

Grant (9-14) played without Shawn Hackett, sidelined because of flu, and Darwin Alfelor, who was benched for disciplinary reasons. Sophomore Ron Patterson, called up from the junior varsity, started at point guard and led the Lancers with seven points.

Leading, 23-19, at halftime, the Rams switched to a one-three-one zone defense to put more pressure on Patterson. South Gate forced four turnovers and extended its lead to 11 points with four minutes to play in the third quarter.