BOYS’ BASKETBALL / GOLDEN WEST LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Gottlieb’s 24 Points Silence Servite Fans

What was being said to Tustin’s Doug Gottlieb in his own house was unacceptable. So he did something about, not with malice, but with sheer pleasure.

Servite’s fans came to Tustin High School Friday, not to praise Gottlieb, but to heckle him. They had little left to say in the end.

Gottlieb finished with 24 points, 11 assists, five steals and two blocks in a 74-45 rout of the Friars. Thus, Tustin, ranked second in Orange County, was left looking for some one its own size around the Golden West League. Servite (13-5, 4-1) came into the game tied for first and left looking up to the Tillers and Gottlieb.

It was not what the Servite fans came to see. Even before the Tillers took the court, they were chanting, “We want Doug. We want Doug.” That was the only time they had the upper hand.

“That makes it fun,” said Gottlieb, who has signed with Notre Dame. “They’re right there on the floor and in your face.”

Gottlieb returned the favor several times.

He hit a three-pointer late in the second quarter, then ran by the Friar crowd with arms extended. He finished the half with a steal and dunk, giving the fans his best did-you-see-that look afterward.

It gave the Tillers (18-1, 5-0) a 35-22 lead.

“Sometimes you get caught up in the moment,” Gottlieb said. “You have to say, ‘In your face.’ Sometimes you don’t have to say a thing. The scoreboard can say a million words.”

And it was talking at the 10th-ranked Friars all night.

They had stayed within earshot in the first half due to David Downs’ play. He scored 13 in the first half, making six of seven shots. His teammates, meanwhile, were two for 12.

Downs’ play gave the Friars faint hopes. Then he disappeared.

Tustin’s Raffi Lalazarian smothered Downs, allowing him only one shot in the second half. The Friar offense was reduced to a slew of three-point attempts. Kevin Fremgen made four and scored 15 points, but it was offense by attrition.

“Downs got zero in the second half,” Gottlieb said. “This was Raffi’s night.”

Maybe, but it was hard to tell. Lalazarian also had 19 points and sank four three-pointers, but it was all orchestrated by Gottlieb.

He began the second half with three assists and seven points. After a David Lalazarian (12 points) layup, Gottlieb stole the inbound pass, then dribbled back to the three-point line and hit a jumper. It gave the Tillers 50-28 lead.

“We just executed,” Gottlieb said.

And it was the Friars who wore the blindfolds.

*

In another league game:

Ocean View 84, Westminster 65--Dan McDonald had 33 points and Mike Seguin had 15 for Ocean View (13-8, 2-3), giving Jim Harris his 300th coaching victory. Scott Yoshizaki had 19 points and Scott Mizusuka had 17 for Westminster (7-13, 1-4). Ocean View outscored Westminster, 25-9, from the free-throw line.