BASKETBALL NOTEBOOK: BACK-TO-BACK REALITY FOR ROYAL.

Byline: Sean Ceglinsky Staff Writer

Optimism was high when Royal High's boys' basketball team opened Marmonte League play with a victory over Newbury Park a little more than three weeks ago. Reality is beginning to settle in after back-to-back losses.

Now the Highlanders (7-8, 1-2) are at a crossroads. They must either put together a meaningful winning streak or risk falling out of contention in league or, worse, the Southern Section playoff picture.

``We have a lot of games ahead of us,'' Royal coach Craig Griffin said. ``It's going to be interesting.''

Royal had a chance to make a statement Friday night, but lost 50-48 in the waning moments against Calabasas.

``You hope there's positives to take away from a game like that,'' Griffin said. ``We executed. Our guys did what we wanted them to do, and we had a shot to win it in the end. If we play like we did against Calabasas all the time, we'd be tough to beat.''

If he could only get his players to buy into that philosophy.

Royal resumes league play this week with road games Monday at Agoura and Wednesday at Moorpark. The Highlanders are home Friday against Thousand Oaks.

--Second shot:-- Simi Valley was given a friendly reminder this past week about which is the team to beat in the Marmonte League. Calabasas on Monday defeated the Pioneers 62-40.

``We just wanted it more,'' Calabasas coach Russell White said.

The teams meet again Jan. 28th.

``You have to be ready to play every night in this league or you'll get beat. Calabasas proved it,'' Simi Valley coach Christian Aurand said. ``We'll be ready, though.''

In the meantime, Simi Valley (11-5, 2-1) must regroup quickly. The Pioneers play host Monday to Thousand Oaks, at Newbury Park on Wednesday, then end the week with a home game Friday against Westlake.

``We're greedy. We'd love three wins,'' Aurand said. ``Two out of three wouldn't be bad, either, though that's not our goal.''

Key to the Pioneers' success has been the play of Michael Rodgers and Caise Burris. Rodgers has been steady, averaging a team-high 14 points per game, and Burris has complemented him well, adding 13.7 per contest. They average more than 14 rebounds a game, combined.

``It's no secret that if you shut down Rodgers and Burris, you beat us,'' Aurand said. ``We're leaning on them right now.''

Tony Washington has provided leadership in the backcourt, and he averages 3.6 assists and 2.1 steals a game. Tony Meza usually is good for seven points a game, but nobody else averages more than three points. That must change if the Pioneers want to challenge.

``We have to establish some balance,'' Aurand said. ``We need some of our bench players to step up. They're going to have to perform.''

--Tough times: Things can't get much worse for Grace Brethren, which has opened the season with losses in nine of its first 10 games. The last time the Lancers won was nearly a month ago, on Dec. 20, a 58-49 decision over Valley Alternative of Lake Balboa.

Grace Brethren features a balanced scoring attack, with three players - Travis Chupp (11.5), Brad Willhite (10.5) and Trevor Chrisman (10.3) - averaging in double-digits. The Lancers are giving up an average of 63 points per game.

Grace Brethren hopes to turn things around sooner than later, and it will have the opportunity to do so Tuesday at Whittier Christian of La Habra in a Delphic League opener.

The Lancers close out the week with two nonleague games before settling into the heart of its league schedule the following week.

Sean Ceglinsky, [phone]

sean.ceglinsky(at)dailynews.com