BOYS’ BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Boulton Impressive as Cypress Wins

Forward Brett Boulton recognized the significance early on. Cypress’ basketball team, contender or pretender for the Empire League title?

“We’re supposed to be a top team in this league,” Boulton said. “We had to show it.”

They did and in fairly impressive fashion. The Centurions went to El Dorado High and beat the Golden Hawks, 66-50, Wednesday in the league opener.

“To come in here and win is huge,” Coach Tom Gorrell said.

How huge? “We weren’t going to start 0-1,” Boulton said. “That couldn’t happen.”

Boulton was a big reason it didn’t. He had 19 points, 13 in the second half. He scored six consecutive points in the third quarter, as the Centurions (13-3, 1-0) stretched a 31-29 halftime lead to 47-40 and didn’t look back.

But it was not a solo act by Boulton. Cypress, ranked 10th in Orange County, returned 10 players, including five starters from a 13-13 team. That depth showed.

Derrick Mitchell scored 15 points, seven in the fourth quarter. He made three three-pointers, the last giving Cypress a 55-44 lead with 4 minutes 20 seconds left.

Boulton and Mitchell put the second-half finishing touches on the victory. But it was reserve guard Wes Bunn who took the will away from the Golden Hawks (12-5, 0-1).

Bunn scored seven points and defensively, he smothered El Dorado point guard Dustin Miller.

Miller came into the game with averages of 15 points and four assists. He scored 12 and had three assists, but he did not have an assist after Bunn entered the game in the second quarter.

Until then, Miller and the Golden Hawks were in control. They made their first six shots and 11 of their first 12.

Dan Simonsen’s short jumper gave the Golden Hawks a 26-18 lead, then El Dorado collapsed. After a Mitchell three-pointer, Chad Boberg (12 points) scored six consecutive points. Bunn’s rebound and layup gave the Centurions a 29-28 lead and they never trailed again.

“We seem to score in spurts,” Gorrell said. “We’re not a perfect team.”

But they are contenders.