SoCalHoops CIF-SS Playoff News

CIF-SS I-A Preview: Glendora v. Thousand Oaks
@ Westlake HS Tonight--(Feb. 26, 2002)

What: Division I-A Semifinals
Who: Glendora (27-2) vs. Thousand Oaks (26-3)
Where: @ Westlake HS
When: 7:30 p.m.

Glendora will attempt to repeat as CIF-Southern Section divisional champions for the first time in school history tonight.   Thousand Oaks, who made it to the semifinals last season, only to lose, is trying not to end the careers of their senior leaders, Ben Olson, Kevin Rex and Dave Anderson.   The second-seeded Tartans (27-2), who have survived close games, in fact downright scary games against Silverado and Lancaster in the second round and the quarterfinals, while Thousand Oaks has been blasting past opponents, beating a Century in the first round (they were a wild card team), then beating Rowland by 20 in the second round and tetting by San Gorgonio 74-68 in the quarterfinals last Friday.  Glendora is led by seniors Larry Monroe, Michael Mehanna and Spencer Foster. The three of them combined for 65 points against Lancaster on Friday. Thousand Oaks is led by seniors Ben Olson and Dave Anderson, who scored 30 points against San Gorgonio on Friday.  Here's what the Daily News' Vincent Bonsignore had to say about the game;

Back in the semifinals and returning to the very site at which its season came to an abrupt end last year, the Thousand Oaks boys' basketball team will try again to break through to the Southern Section Division I-A final tonight against Glendora. The fact the semifinal takes place at Westlake High, where El Toro knocked the Lancers out in the same round last year, isn't lost on this year's players. "We all felt we should have won that game. We were up the whole game and fell apart at the end, missing shots," forward Kevin Rex said. "We got back, that's what we wanted to do. Now our goal is to win it and go onto the (Southern Section finals) and win that too." Rex is part of a Lancers' starting five featuring Dave Anderson and Ben Olson that has helped propel Thousand Oaks (26-3) to the brink of the final. Anderson is bright and talented, but his passion might be his primary strength. Sometimes, he's too passionate. "He's the type of player that never wants to leave the floor," Thousand Oaks coach Rich Endres said. "Sometimes we don't see eye to eye on when he wants to leave. The bottom line is, he wants to be in there the whole 32 minutes. We feel he's got to have fresh legs down the stretch to be able to hit those shots."

Glendora's Spencer Foster was also just named the San Gabriel Valley Tribune & Pasadena Star News "Athlete of the Week" for his performance against Lancaster.  Here's what the paper had to say: 

"The senior came up big in the Tartans' 79-75, overtime victory over Lancaster in a CIF-Southern Section Division I-A quarterfinal game Friday. Foster had a game-high 23 points and 11 rebounds, including several key baskets down the stretch that allowed Glendora to hold off the stingy Eagles. Glendora resumes its quest to win back-to-back divisional championships for the first time in school history when it faces Thousand Oaks tonight at Westlake."

This is going to be an emotionally charged and intense game for both teams' senior players who are all seeking to not only prove something to their fans and opponents, but seeking to prove to themselves that they can each win a championship.  Again, the sad thing about this game is that only one team can win. Here are the rosters:

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