Prep Classic notebook: Western still enjoying success on easy street in Gold Cup

After opening Monday's first-round game with a 39-2 run reminiscent of a pregame layup drill, the Western Warriors certainly didn't expect another cakewalk in round two Tuesday against George Washington, the top-ranked team in Colorado.

But for the second straight day, the Warriors made winning in the Powerade Holiday Prep Classic look easy, rolling past the Patriots by a lopsided 77-45 to advance to today's Gold Cup semifinal round.

Western (7-1) led by just two at halftime, but routed its Colorado opponents by a whopping 43-13 margin after intermission. All five Warriors starters finished in double figures, led by swingman Brandon Weaver with 19 points.

"They were a little bigger than us, so we knew we had to turn up our defense and force them to rush their shots," Western coach Tony Hopkins said. "And Brandon Weaver finally played like Brandon Weaver, and the team generally feeds off him."

Matt Robinson (17 points) Patrick Stinett (15), Wendell West (12) and Tim Day (11) all contributed in the scoring department with Day adding a game-high 11 rebounds.

Western will take on Florida's Arlington Country Day School -- No. 22 in USA Today's Top 25 poll -- today at 4:25 p.m. at Green Valley.

"(Arlington) looked awfully tough, they had nice size and they play exceptionally hard," Hopkins said. "If we want to give ourselves an opportunity to compete with them, we'll have to match their intensity and if we're fortunate to get our shots to fall, we might have a chance."

The Gators reached the semifinal round with a 73-62 win over Crescenta Valley (Calif.) Tuesday night, and will face Abramson (La.) tonight at 8:40 at home.

Raymond White scored 21 points and pulled down seven rebounds, and Jamar Jordan added 18 points and seven rebounds for Green Valley (5-4).

After going 6-11 in their inaugural campaign, the Jaguars improved to 6-2 Tuesday, dowing Overton's Moapa Valley 71-57 to move into the Silver Cup semifinals.

Antonio Williams, a key two-way player on a Desert Pines football team that improved from 0-7 to 8-3, scored 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to pace the locals. Maurice Thomas added a team-high 21 points and Nick Porter chipped in 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Jaguars, while Rocky Francom scored 23 points for the Pirates in the losing cause.

"The football team tasted defeat, and then they were tough this season," Desert Pines coach Freddie Thompson said. "That's carried over to basketball season."

The Jaguars take on St. Mary's (N.Y.) -- a team that has averaged 93.5 points in its two tournament wins -- today at 3 p.m. at Green Valley.

It wasn't enough to keep the Monarchs' fourth-leading scorer out of his team's 91-38 win over Parkview Baptist (La.). But after the game, Gabler went to Desert Springs Hospital, where doctors discovered he was suffering from acute appendicitis.

After surgery to remove the organ, Gabler spent Monday night at the hospital, then returned to his team and watched Tuesday night's 80-65 victory over Clear Lake (Texas) from the bench in street clothes.

Mater Dei coach Gary McKnight said Gabler will be out at least one week, but should not miss extended time since doctors intervened before the appendix burst.

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