Orange County Sports / Prep Basketball : Pacific Coast League : Woodbridge Goes Overtime for Title

Woodbridge High School’s All-American center, Adam Keefe, was virtually unstoppable Friday night, but the Warriors still needed three overtimes and an assist from their scorekeeper to clinch their second straight Pacific Coast League title.

The record book will show that Woodbridge defeated Laguna Hills, 65-59, with Keefe scoring all six points of the third overtime, but two of those points were never made.

Chris Deibert, Woodbridge forward, was incorrectly credited with a basket by the official scorer with 4:54 remaining in the second quarter.

Deibert was fouled driving to the basket midway through the second quarter and Laguna Hills holding a 21-20 lead. He missed the basket and went to the free-throw line for what most figured would be two shots. Instead, he was given one shot, which he missed.

Laguna Hills scored on the ensuing play for what should have been a 23-20 lead, but instead, the scoreboard read, 23-22, in favor of the Hawks. When play was stopped a few minutes later, it was discovered Deibert had been credited with a basket he never made.

“There was nothing I could do at that point,” said Joe Reid, Laguna Hills coach. “It gnawed at me the rest of the game, and then it killed me when we had two starters foul out in overtime.

“I told the referees it was a correctable error, but they said it was too late to change the mistake.”

Bill Shannon, Woodbridge coach, acknowledged Deibert’s “phantom” basket and said a break like that is sometimes part of a closely contested game.

“I don’t know if the shot was made or not,” he said. “If it wasn’t, that’s the way a game like this goes sometimes. You can go back and point to several instances that changed the outcome of this game.”

Woodbridge (8-0, 16-5) won the game by outscoring Laguna Hills, 6-0, in the third overtime period. The Warriors needed a tip by Keefe with two seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game, 54-54, and send the game into overtime.

Neither team scored in the first overtime period with Keefe’s turnaround jump shot at the buzzer bouncing off the lip of the rim as time expired.

Laguna Hills (13-10, 5-3) appeared to have the game won on two different occasions in the second overtime. First, Kyle Roberts’ 24-foot jump shot gave the Warriors a 57-55 lead with 52 seconds remaining, but Keefe answered with a follow shot to tie the game, 57-57.

Then, reserve guard Mike Goodman made two free throws with 17 seconds remaining as the Hawks took a 59-57 lead, but once again, Keefe answered with a baseline jumper with eight seconds remaining to send the game into the third three-minute overtime.

Keefe finished with 36 points and 18 rebounds. Roberts led Laguna Hills with 19 points and made all 9 of his field goal attempts.

Trabuco Hills 79, Costa Mesa 63--Rick Swanwick scored a game-high 27 points to lead host Trabuco Hills (12-10, 3-5). John Barnes added 14 points and Chad Poluos had 10. Paul Kos had 21 points for Costa Mesa (5-16, 2-7).

Laguna Beach 70, Orange 44--In honor of Laguna Beach’s last home game of the season, Coach Ed Bowen changed his lineup and started an all-senior team, which opened an 18-6 lead in the first quarter and led 42-20 halftime. Broc Stephens scored 15 points to lead Laguna Beach (5-3, 9-12). Kevin France led Orange (4-16, 1-7) with 12 points and John Rodriguez added 11 points.