SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGIONAL PREP BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT : Crenshaw Is Spread Thin, but Slows Down to Stop Hoover

Imagine the contrast in basketball that Hoover High School of Fresno had seen in a three-day stretch.

The Patriots had gone from defeating the patient and structured approach of Southern Section 5-A champion Mater Dei of Santa Ana Tuesday to facing the high-flying running game of Crenshaw, the City 4-A champion, Thursday.

Despite the contrast, Hoover did adjust, but so did Crenshaw.

The Cougars, who led by 11 points heading into the fourth quarter, had to play slow-down to beat Hoover, 71-65, at Cal State Dominguez Hills and advance to the title game of the Division I Southern California Regional final Saturday at the Sports Arena.

The Cougars (28-0) will get there despite scoring only four points in the last 3:03 of the game--all on free throws. Their 61-50 lead had been chipped down to 67-60, before the final six-point margin, Crenshaw’s third-closest victory of the season.

“They didn’t crack,� Crenshaw Coach Willie West said of Hoover, the Central Section champion, which finished 27-2. “They were under control the whole time. I was very impressed.�

And the uncharacteristic spread offense at the end?

“You have to do what you have to do,� West said. “Obviously, we didn’t get the offensive rotation we wanted to, so we started to use the clock.�

Forward Doug Meekins scored 21 for Crenshaw and center Cornelius Holden, again a force inside, had 18 and 8 blocked shots.

Senior forward Pat Riddlesprigger, who scored 19 in the first-round win over Mater Dei, scored 22 points for Hoover, which had its 18-game winning streak snapped. Fourteen of those points came in the second half.

Fresno-area champions from the major division are never pushovers for Southern California teams--Edison of Fresno extended eventual state titlist Mater Dei last season before falling by one point in the semifinals--and Hoover was no different. Though the Patriots couldn’t match Crenshaw for depth or sheer talent, the teams were tied with five minutes to play in the first half, 27-27.

From there, Crenshaw went on a 17-6 run to end the half and led, 44-33, at halftime. Holden, 6-foot 7-inch, 200-pounder bound for Louisville, was the key in the first two quarters for Crenshaw, as he had been in the City 4-A title win last Friday. He had 14 points and 4 blocked shots in the first half. Doug Meekins had 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor.

Hoover made another run to open the second half, but Crenshaw held that off, too. The Cougars led, 61-50, after three quarters.