Boys basketball: Sage Hill claims third

IRVINE - Sage Hill High boys basketball standouts Kevin Joyce and

Mike Fitzhugh each scored 26 points to break Joyce’s one-day-old

single-game school record (20) and lead the Lightning to a 72-43 triumph

over Liberty Christian in the third-place game of the four-team TVT

Tournament Thursday at Tarbut V’Torah High.

Fitzhugh, a 6-foot-2 junior forward, overpowered Minutemen defenders

for 10 second-quarter points to help the Lightning, a first-year varsity

program, turn a 9-8 first-quarter deficit into a 32-17 halftime lead.

Fitzhugh, who followed up Wednesday’s 9-for-9 field-goal shooting, in

a 73-49 pool-play win over Liberty Christian, by hitting 12 of 17

field-goal attempts Thursday, added 12 points in the third quarter. Sage

Hill outscored the Minutemen, 23-10, during the period.

Coach Gordon McNeill said all of Fitzhugh’s points came inside, as

Liberty Christian had no one to match up with the powerful frontcourt

performer.

Fitzhugh added four assists and three rebounds, while Joyce, a 6-3

sophomore who was named all-tournament, chipped in seven rebounds and two

assists.

Junior point guard Erik Williams scored nine of his 15 points in the second quarter to help the winners improve to 2-3.

The Lightning host Saddleback Valley Christian Thursday at 3:30 p.m.

TVT Tournament

Third place

Sage Hill 72, Liberty Christian 43

Score by Quarters

Sage Hill 9 23 23 17 - 72

Liberty Christian 8 9 10 16 - 43

Sage Hill - Joyce 26, Fitzhugh 26, Cho 0, Williams 15, Wilkins 2,

Youssef 3, Brewer 2, Tanney 0, Cochrane 0, Swanson 0.

3-pt. goals - Joyce 4, Youssef 1.

Fouled out - none.

Technicals - none.