High School Basketball

The plan was bold, but whose right is it to tell a young athlete that he shouldn't dream? Youssef Mejri had shown promise as a basketball player, so he traveled to Southern California from his family's home in Tunisia with a set list of intentions: polishing his English, studying hard for college entrance tests, and enjoying the exposure offered by a private preparatory school with a reputation for sending its athletes on to nationally renowned college...

An 18-year-old high school basketball player was shot and killed Saturday night at a Gardena party after gang members argued with him and he tried to run away, according to Gardena police and the youth's father. Antonio D. Lewis, a Washington High School basketball player, was at the party with a friend when gang members crashed in, said his father, Dempsey Lewis. Gang members had demanded to know where the youth was from, said Lewis' father.

The high school boys' basketball season begins tonight with first-round games in the Buena Park, Pacific Shores and National Sports Grill Invitational tournaments. Servite, one of the top teams in the Golden West League, and Pacifica, the defending champion in Southern Section Division III-A, are among those entered in the National Sports Grill Invitational at Loara and Savanna highs. The Brea-Olinda, Mission Viejo and Daily Pilot Tip-Off Classic tournaments begin Tuesday.

The Santana High School girls' basketball team looked pretty well organized as it built a 27-9 lead in the first half against Helix Tuesday. But by the end of the game, Sultan Coach Wade Vickery had a different description of his team's play. "The girls didn't need a coach tonight, they needed a ringmaster," Vickery said after Santana held on for a 43-33 nonleague victory at Helix. Third-ranked Santana (12-2) played smoothly at the start.

Ripon Christian 80, Canoga Park Faith Baptist 70--Ripon, which had a size advantage, led throughout in winning the Division V final. Faith Baptist (27-7) stayed close for the first half, trailing 33-28. But the Contenders were outscored by five points during the third quarter and were forced to foul down the stretch. Forward Peter Rasmussen, who made nine of 23 shots, led Faith Baptist with 25 points. The team shot only 34.7%. Ripon (34-1) was led by forward Tim Schoolland's 36 points.

Mike Wasserburger set a San Diego Section record by making 21 free throws, but his four straight with two seconds left provided the difference as the Mount Carmel High School boy's basketball team defeated Torrey Pines, 67-64, Wednesday night at Torrey Pines. Wasserburger's 21 free throws (out of 22 attempts) bested the record of 14 set by three players, most recently by Michael Pitts of Sweetwater in 1979.

The two players a basketball coach least wants to have sitting on the bench when his team is fighting for a crucial league victory are his center and his point guard. But in Tuesday's City Harbor League matchup, Christian's high-scoring center and St. Augustine's point guard fouled out in the fourth quarter. Christian center Dave Piester, who came in averaging 18.8 points a game, played just five minutes 45 seconds in the second half before he fouled out with 13 points and 2:21 remaining.

Jason Ferguson, the head basketball coach at Costa Mesa High School, died Sunday after an inspiring, yearlong battle against a rare form of cancer. He was 24. Ferguson, who had been stricken with a cancer known as Wilm's tumor, was admitted Tuesday to Hoag Memorial Hospital with breathing problems. He died at 12:23 a.m. Sunday. He had been in his second season as coach of the boys' basketball team at Costa Mesa High. While battling cancer, he directed his team from a wheelchair.