HEMET – it took a while for Tahquitz of Hemet to figure out Edison’s well-executed offensive schemes, but when it happened, the Titans pulled away for a 78-64 victory Friday in a CIF-SS Division 1AA boys basketball second-round game.
Tahquitz (24-4) earned a home game in the quarterfinals against Maranatha, which knocked off St. John Bosco on Friday.
Edison (23-5) operated its offense at peak efficiency in the first quarter. Getting to the rim and getting open looks for three-pointers, the Chargers went on a 15-1 run over a three-minute stretch to grab a nine-point lead.
From there, the game gradually turned Tahquitz’s way. The Titans narrowed the gap to five at the half, took the lead with an 8-0 run to start the second half and never gave it back.
“Their passing was a little tough for us at first,” Tahquitz forward Justin Reed said. “It’s just anticipating where the ball is going, getting used to what they were doing and knowing where the shooters are.”
As Tahquitz became more comfortable on defense, the results were reflected in the numbers. Edison shot 48 percent from the floor in the first half, but managed just 30 percent in the second. The Chargers scored 38 points in the first half, 26 in the second.
“In the first half, we were giving up stuff that we had worked on all week,” Tahquitz coach Brad Smith said. “But the defense got a lot better. We were able to recognize their sets. They run about a million of them. They’re very well-coached.”
Jordan Williams was held in check in the first quarter by the tough defense of Edison’s David Atencio. Once Williams got the measure of Atencio, he took off, scoring nine points in the second quarter and nine more in the third.
In one stretch of the third quarter, the game turned into a battle between Williams and Edison’s top gun, Randall Walker, each scored on three consecutive possessions. Walker, however, missed all eight of his shots after that.
Reed came up big down the stretch with six points and five rebounds in the fourth quarter. He finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Williams had 26 points and five assists.
Tahquitz also showed the steadier nerves, hitting 15 of 19 from the line in the final period. Edison, after making its first 10 free throws in the game, faltered in the key stretch of the fourth, missing 6 of 8 at one point.
Walker and Nate Matthews finished with 22 points apiece.
