THE BIG GAME : Guards Pick Up Eagles

Although he scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, San Pasqual’s Erik Meek has had better nights. Something didn’t seem to be right Friday with the 6-foot-10 center’s game. He had too many turnovers and only two offensive rebounds.

But San Pasqual’s guards seemed to sense their big man needed help against Torrey Pines. They hit seven three-pointers, six in the first half, and gave San Pasqual an 11-point first-half lead that it never relinquished. The Eagles wound up defeating host Torrey Pines, 70-59, in the Division II section quarterfinals.

With the victory, San Pasqual (17-7) advanced to Wednesday’s semifinals against the Valhalla-Serra winner at a site to be determined.

David Durst, a junior guard, sank four of the three-pointers, and Chris Hancock and Erik Davidson had one apiece over the Torrey Pines zone.

“All week we knew the corners would be open and Coach (Tom Buck) said don’t hesitate to shoot them,” Durst said. “And I didn’t.”

The bombs gave Meek the room he needed inside. After scoring just 10 points in the first half, Meek scored 17 in the second half, including nine consecutive during one stretch.

“(Meek) wasn’t having a great game; I think he was frustrated,” Buck said. “We knew that the way they played, the guards would have to hit some. Everybody says the guards here aren’t very good, but they’re coming through at some awfully big times.”

Buck said if they continue to come through, his team will win the section title.

“If our guys shoot like that, it’s over,” he said.

Torrey Pines Coach John Farrell was inclined to agree with Buck.

“With the big guy inside and the guards shooting like that, it’s tough,” he said.

It’s even tougher when your team is only shooting two-for-17 from three-point range and you don’t have anyone like Meek inside. Farrell said 22 turnovers didn’t help his team’s cause, either.

Four of Torrey Pines’ turnovers came before it couldn’t even get a shot off. Before the Falcons knew what hit them, Meek had two slams and a layup and Durst a three. Suddenly, it was 9-2.

Torrey Pines (21-8) trailed 18-12 after a quarter, but scored the first seven points of the second quarter to take its first lead of the game. Davidson and Torrey Pines forward Craig Brown traded threes, but San Pasqual went on an 18-6 run, sparked by Durst’s three three-pointers, to close out the half.

Durst finished with 14 and Richard Stark added 15.