BOYS BASKETBALL: White Sparks Colts to CCS Win

The Score: El Camino 48, Westmont 45.

The Star: El Camino High sophomore Elijah White took over the game in the second half and scored a game-high 19 points to lead his team in the Central Coast Section Division II second-round playoff game. The 5-foot-6 guard overcame his 1-for-9 shooting in the opening half to spark the host Colts with two big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and then a pair of free throws in the final seconds to secure the victory.

The Turning Point: A hustle play by Justin Tuason gave El Camino a 44-41 lead with the game winding down. Tuason was the lone player to react to a missed Colts shot, and he grabbed the rebound for an uncontested putback. Shortly thereafter, Elijah White drove the lane and was fouled – and he hit both free throws with seven seconds left to provide the final margin.

The Quote: “We consider ourselves an up-and-coming program, and they’re an established program. There’s no chalk talk necessary to tell (El Camino players) this is a big game.” – Colts coach Tony Khoo, on an enticing matchup with St. Francis in the quarterfinals.

What’s Next? Seventh-seeded El Camino takes aim at its second CCS semifinal appearance in three years – but it faces a stiff challenge in No. 2 seed St. Francis (13-12). The teams meet in the Division II quarterfinals on Saturday at 11:45 a.m. at Foothill College. In , St. Francis is slotted No. 4 and El Camino No. 9.

The Bottom Line: Coming off to rival South San Francisco in the semifinals of the Peninsula Athletic League tournament, a quick exit from the CCS playoffs would have left the Colts (17-10) with a very bitter taste to cap what has been a strong year. Instead, El Camino fended off No. 10 seed Westmont (11-15) and talented 6-foot-8 center Nick Wahl. White, described by Khoo as “the most physically unimposing player on the floor,” played well beyond his sophomore years. Justin Eclavea and Allan Santos Jr. keyed the Colts’ strong defensive effort. Next up? Perhaps the biggest challenge of the year. St. Francis lost all its starters from last year’s Northern California Division II championship squad, but is a battle-tested West Catholic Athletic League power.

________________________________________________________________

El Camino 48, Westmont 45

W – 8 10 11 16 -- 45

EC – 11 10 13 14 – 48

W: Kamara 6 2-4 14, Yi 1 0-0 3, Cervantes 1 0-0 3, Hoerger 1 0-0 3, Wahl 7 0-2 14, Marlen 3 0-0 8. Totals: 19 2-6 45.

EC: Halal 1 0-0 3, White 5 7-8 19, Knight 3 3-4 9, Mathiesen 2 0-0 4, Santos Jr. 0 1-2 1, Tuason 2 0-0 5, Eclavea 3 1-2 7. Totals: 16 12-16 48.

3-point goals: Marlen 2, Camara, Savantes, Hoerger. EC: White 2, Halal, Tuason.

Records: Westmont 11-15. El Camino 17-10.