Loyola Sinks Ventura, 83-76

It was as if somebody had pushed a button, opened the gymnasium floor, and the Ventura High players had fallen into the swimming pool below. Sometime in the third quarter of Saturday night’s championship game at the Beverly Hills tournament, the bottom dropped out on Ventura, and the Cougars never recovered, falling, 83-76, to Loyola.

The Cougars (6-1), whose nine tournament titles are more than double that of any other team in the 51-year history of the tournament, lost all of what had been an eight-point second-period lead.

Loyola (6-1), which won the tournament for the second time, caught Ventura, 53-53, in the third period on a three-point basket by tournament most valuable player Toby Bailey (a game-high 29 points). The Cubs, who received 23 points and nine rebounds from center Marcus Kaufman, took a 59-56 lead into the fourth quarter and stretched the margin to 10.

Ventura led, 46-42, at halftime as Darien Roberts, Curt Vaughn and Larry Anter combined for 33 points. But the Cougars converted only four of 13 third-period shots (31%) and missed eight of their first 11 shots in the fourth quarter.

Roberts, who sank only seven of 23 field-goal attempts, finished with 19 points. Anter had 21.

Glendale 52, Rio Mesa 39--Glendale (5-3) took third place behind Paul Chin (14 points), Edwin Bonilla (12) and David Sofro (10). Rio Mesa (2-5) was limited to 16 second-half points.

Beverly Hills 56, Saugus 47--Eric Vilik scored 23 points but it was not enough for Saugus (2-5) in the fifth-place game.

Royal 62, St. Bernard 60 (OT)--Kahamisi Thurman led Royal (4-4) with 18 points, and Todd Ward and Steve Hodge added 14 and 12.

Notre Dame 59, Crespi 38--The Knights’ Tom Stillwell had 17 points and Glen Carson added 16 in a consolation-round game.