O’Bannon Too Much for Burroughs

Ed O’Bannon inside. Ed O’Bannon outside. Ed O’Bannon down the lane and through the air for a spectacular twirling, two-handed reverse dunk.

O’Bannon did it all Friday night as he led top-seeded Artesia High to a 75-45 rout of Burroughs in a Southern Section 4-A Division semifinal at Cerritos College.

One of the top 25 high school players in the nation, according to Street & Smith’s basketball publication, O’Bannon showed his stuff--figuratively and literally--to the delight of a partisan crowd until Coach Wayne Merino mercifully removed the 6-foot-9 senior forward with five minutes to play and Artesia (24-2) ahead, 69-35.

The final O’Bannon tally: 28 points (including four thunderous dunks), five rebounds, three blocked shots, one three-point basket, no fewer than 10 postgame autographs and one interview for a local cable television station.

“To tell you the truth, it wasn’t easy,” O’Bannon said. “They were a great team and they do a lot of things well. But we really prepared for the game.”

Burroughs (19-7), whose 13-game winning streak was snapped, was in big trouble after 60 seconds when O’Bannon punctuated a fast break with a reverse dunk for the game’s first points.

Artesia leaped to 7-2 and 21-8 leads before taking a 25-12 advantage into the second quarter. O’Bannon, who scored 12 points in the first quarter, opened the second quarter with another reverse slam and there wasn’t much of a contest thereafter.

How does an opposing coach prepare for a player like O’Bannon, who has drawn interest from virtually every major college in the country--most notably UCLA, USC and Nevada Las Vegas?

Burroughs Coach Ira Sollod is still wondering.

“He’s a thoroughbred,” Sollod said. “He goes inside-out. He’s 6-9 and he jumps out of the gym.”

In the course of events, the left-handed O’Bannon fired a soft, one-handed jump shot in the lane and an NBA three-point shot, both of which hit only net.

“I thought the game would be much closer, but you don’t stop Ed,” Merino said.

Nor could Burroughs contain any of the other Pioneers. Junior guard De Andre Austin scored 17 points--including six on three electrifying slam dunks--and nine players scored.

Senior guard and two-year starter Marnie Calderon led Burroughs with 15 points, including eight of the team’s 12 in the first quarter when the Indians tried to stay close.

Forwards Ray Velasquez (four points) and S. J. Boldvich (four), and guard Doug Castaneda (six)--all averaging in double figures entering the game--were neutralized.

“It’s embarrassing,” Calderon said. “We could have played better than that. But I’m just thankful that we got this far. You can’t ask for more than that.”