BREA-OLINDA TOURNAMENT : Foul Shooting Is Difference as Wildcats Advance

BREA —  Brea-Olinda High School’s basketball team lived at the free-throw line Thursday night. The Wildcats almost died there as well.

Brea (9-3) eventually wrested a 51-46 victory from a scrappy Fallbrook team in the quarterfinals of the Brea tournament. Fallbrook swing man Chris Miller hit a three-pointer to tie the score early in the fourth quarter, then his backcourt mate, Alan Chatman, converted a steal and layup to give Fallbrook a 44-42 lead.

Brea later took a four-point lead when Keith Walker made an off-balance 25-footer.

In the final minute, Fallbrook (7-3) turned to fouling Brea point guard Rodney Stewart, who missed the front ends of a pair of one-and-ones.

Fallbrook cut the lead to two on a baseline jumper by Eric Enockson with 13 seconds left. But a free throw by Brea’s David Otto and a put-back by Fritz Wickman off an Otto miss from the line sealed the victory.

Brea made 16 of 26 free throws. Fallbrook made two of three free throws.

Miller led Fallbrook with 21 points, and Walker paced Brea with 24 points and 15 rebounds.

In other quarterfinal games:

Compton 99, El Dorado 89--El Dorado shooting guard Gary Smith hit a three-pointer to cut Compton’s fourth-quarter lead to 76-72, but Compton (12-2) pulled away in the fourth quarter.

Smith led all scorers with 33 points, including five from three-point range. El Dorado (7-4) also got 19 points from center Jerome Facione and 14 from guard Mike Bradach. James Williams had 21 points and Curtis Thomas 16 for Compton.

Gahr 65, Whittier Christian 57--Whittier Christian (4-4) got 24 points from forward Ruben Oronoz and trailed by only three points in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to get past Gahr (6-5).

Gahr was led by its guards Brandon Titus (22 points, two three-pointers) and Robert Stabler (16 points).

In the consolation round:

Bakersfield Foothill 40, Buena Park 34--Foothill (8-2) was led by power forward Rico Robertson’s game-high 17 points. Junior guard Ray Lanier led Buena Park (4-7) with 12 points.

La Habra 55, Sunny Hills 54--Swing man David Ragsdale scored a game-high 19 points for Sunny Hills (1-9).