PREP ROUNDUP : Long Beach Poly Works Inside to Stop Trabuco Hills

Long Beach Poly High School’s basketball team controlled the boards and handed Trabuco Hills its first defeat of the season, 62-57, in the second round of the Converse/Coca-Cola Classic Wednesday at Trabuco Hills High.

Poly (2-0) repeatedly got second and third efforts on the offensive boards and had a 31-17 rebounding advantage.

Trabuco Hills (3-1) fell behind by as many as 12 points in the third quarter and never got closer than four in the last quarter.

“The difference in the game was rebounding,” said Trabuco Hills Coach Rainer Wulf. “They got too many offensive rebounds. I told the team before the game that we had to screen out, but I guess my guys didn’t believe me.”

Trabuco Hills’ productivity was limited because its two best big men, center Matt Moore and forward Pat Barnes, were in early foul trouble. Both fouled out in the fourth quarter.

Point guard Brett Poulos didn’t help the cause, either. He opened the game by making his first four shots but then missed all five of his shots in the second half. Poulos led all scorers with 18 points.