Gorman on the fast track at Reebok Classic

Steve Cunningham

Monday, Dec. 22, 1997 | 9:59 a.m.

Today is special at the Reebok Holiday Prep Classic.

Two days of play at Durango and Cimarron-Memorial high schools left some members of the 52-team field a bit blue heading into the holiday season. Those without a loss, though, are excited because they are still alive for the title -- if they can just make it through Manic Monday.

Bishop Gorman is the lone Las Vegas team with those kinds of aspirations. The Gaels sweated out a couple of tough games on Saturday and face Westminster, Calif. A win keeps the Gaels on the fast track and earns them a 6:30 p.m. matchup with Rice, a pre-tournament favorite.

For Gorman coach Jeff Wagonseller and his team, it's an golden opportunity local schools don't get in the event anymore.

"We talked to our kids about just that," said Wagonseller. "You just hope to play your best."

Gorman easily could have been playing consolation games in the auxiliary gyms at Durango and Cimarron. The Gaels defeated Pacific, 76-73, despite a one-man show named Chaun Ballard. Ballard hit on 17 of 32 shots for 50 points, but the Gaels rolled out to a 10-point halftime lead and held on.

"He was in a zone and there wasn't a lot we could do," Wagonseller said of Ballard. "We tried a lot of different defenses but we couldn't stop him."

The Gaels then got by Ponderosa, 70-67, despite their opponents deadly shooting from 3-point range. Ponderosa hit 12 treys. Moe Terry was the offensive leader for Gorman on Saturday, scoring 24 points against Pacific and 20 more versus Ponderosa.

"If we had lost one or both of those games, I wouldn't have been real disappointed," Wagonseller said. "It just shows how good the teams are in this tournament. We're real happy to be where we are."

Las Vegas, Durango and Western each won their first games in the event then lost the next. The Wildcats handled Pittsburg, 82-60, then played one of the tournament favorites, Westchester, tough in a 71-66 defeat. Durango knocked off Upper St. Claire, 76-55, on Friday then fell to Mountain View, 81-59. Western opened play with a 61-57 win over Peninsula then was drilled by Pleasure Ridge Park, 90-53.

The other Las Vegas entries -- Clark, Green Valley, Cimarron-Memorial and Basic -- failed to win a game. Clark lost to Long Beach Poly, 75-64, and Lithonia, 70-67. Green Valley dropped a 73-55 decision to Jesuit, then lost, 84-69, to Dunbar. Cimarron fell to Poway, 56-48, and Inglewood, 61-55. Basic was crushed by Rice, 95-34, on Friday, then lost to Harvard-Westlake, 61-46.