LAS FLORES – The difference-maker made a difference.
Nick Pallas did not play for Tesoro two weeks ago when the Titans lost to Trabuco Hills. He played Friday and was a key contributor to Tesoro’s 52-27 rout of Trabuco Hills on Friday in a Sea View League game at Tesoro.
Pallas, a 6-foot-8, 245-pound senior, scored 10 points with 10 rebounds for Tesoro. Adrease Jackson scored 13 points with 15 rebounds for the Titans.
The win put Tesoro in a tie with Trabuco Hills for first place in the Sea View. Both are 5-1 in league with two league games remaining for each next week, the final week of the regular season.
Pallas was suspended when Tesoro lost to Trabuco Hills, 61-50, on Jan. 21. He and Rex Pflueger of Mater Dei had played in a charity game, which is against a CIF-Southern Section rule that bars a student-athlete from participating in such outside competition during the student-athlete’s season of sport.
Jackson and Pallas dominated the inside play from the second quarter on.
“Nick helps a lot everywhere, especially on defense,” said Jackson, a 6-5 sophomore. “He’s a big presence and we’re glad to have him.”
Tesoro, 14-10 overall, is ranked No. 12 in CIF-SS Divison 2AA. Trabuco Hills, 16-8, is a Division 1AA team but is not in that division’s top 16.
The Titans contested just about every Trabuco Hills shot. Trabuco made only 11 of 46 shots, including 1 for 9 in the third quarter. Tesoro was not a lot more accurate, shooting 19 for 49, but many of those shots were taken by Jackson and Pallas close to the basket.
The Mustangs was the aggressor on the boards in the early going and was able to hang in there with Tesoro. Pallas and Jackson were scoreless in the first quarter which ended with Tesoro ahead, 10-8. The Titans had a 22-16 lead at halftime.
Tesoro scored the first 11 points of the third quarter. That run included Jackson scoring off of an offensive rebound of his own miss; a Jackson three-point play; and Pallas converting another offensive rebound into two points. Tesoro had taken control, 33-16. They held Trabuco to single-digit scoring all four quarters.
Titans coach Steve Garrett was pleased with how his team asserted itself from the second quarter on, but that first quarter still bugged him after the game.
“Trabuco got some offensive boards there and that bothered me,” Garrett said. “We need to keep taking pride in our defense.”
Aaron Harris led Trabuco Hills with 13 points. He is averaging 19 points a game.
Tesoro plays host to Capistrano Valley on Tuesday and plays at Laguna Hills on Thursday. Trabuco Hills plays at home Tuesday against San Juan Hills and is at Capistrano Valley on Thursday.
CIF-SS boys basketball brackets will be released Feb. 15.
Trabuco Hills was Sea View co-champion, with Dana Hills, last season. Tesoro finished fifth in the five-team South Coast last season.
Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com
