Lawrence Pulls Big Inside Job

MOORPARK —  His outside shot having deserted him, Moorpark High forward Kevin Lawrence needed to find another way to get his points.

After a torrid start in a nonleague game against Oak Park on Tuesday, Lawrence cooled off shortly before halftime. But he still muscled his way inside to score 10 of his 27 points in the second half as the Musketeers pulled away for an 82-63 victory at Moorpark.

The final nonleague test was the first home game of the season for Moorpark (12-5).

Lawrence, a 6-foot-5 junior, got four second-half baskets off of rebounds, and all seemed to come at critical times.

“He’s going to have to learn to take what the defense gives him,” Moorpark Coach Tim Bednar said of Lawrence. “But he did a real good job of that tonight. It was the key to the game.”

With Oak Park (9-5) concentrating on Lawrence, the outside opened for guard Keith Donahue, who made three three-point baskets and finished with 24 points.

The Eagles stayed close until late in the third quarter but three-point baskets by Donahue and Byron Burnett (18 points) pushed the lead into double digits for the first time, 55-44.

Oak Park fought back to within 57-52 but Moorpark went on a 14-2 run over the next three minutes to put away the game.

John Murphy scored 18 points and Randy Gastwirt, plagued by foul trouble, scored 14 for the Eagles.

Lawrence made seven consecutive shots in the second quarter before missing two. He had 17 points in the half.

Even with Gastwirt on the bench with two fouls for half of the second quarter, the Eagles tied the score, 32-32, shortly before halftime on a Gastwirt free throw.

Lawrence missed his first three shots in the second half before deciding to play inside.