BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS: BERUMEN STEPS UP TO LEAD SIMI VALLEY : SIMI VALLEY 60 TROY 50.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Daily News Staff Writer

It hadn't trailed in the fourth quarter in more than two months. Most of its games this year have been determined by halftime, if not the first quarter. So when Simi Valley found itself behind host Troy early in the fourth quarter Tuesday in a second round Southern Section Division I-A game, the Pioneers were understandably concerned.

But worried? Nope.

Not when Rafael Berumen is calling for the ball, willing to take the game over with his dominant play around the basket. Berumen, who scored 10 points down the stretch, was the difference as Simi Valley avoided a major upset in a 60-50 win over the Warriors.

``He hit some really big shots for us late in the game,'' said Pioneers guard Branduinn Fullove, who played despite a badly sprained ankle. ``He's our go-to player, our big guy, and we needed him tonight.''

Simi Valley plays Ventura on Friday - thanks to Berumen.

``He basically took over in the fourth quarter,'' Pioneers coach Dean Bradshaw said. ``Special players are able to do that type of thing.''

Simi Valley (27-2) certainly needed it. Fullove, not at full strength after injuring his ankle just over a week ago, lacked his normal explosiveness and was hampered defensively. And on a night when Brett Michel struggled with his outside shot, the Pioneers were sloppy with the ball.

They led by as many as 16 points in the second quarter but surrendered the lead when Troy guard Jerry Inzunza scored 13 points in the third quarter to put the Warriors ahead 39-38.

Berumen hit two straight baskets early in the fourth to give Simi Valley a 44-41 lead, then scored six consecutive points to make it 53-46 with 2:37 remaining.

``I knew I had to come through for the team, that I just had to take it to them and do everything I could,'' said Berumen, who finished with a game-high 24 points. ``Fortunately I was able to come through.''

The Pioneers didn't expect to get tested so early in the playoffs, but it might have been their own fault. Berumen admitted he was looking ahead, already thinking about a potential matchup with Mater Dei in the semifinals. After nearly getting burned, he said he's learned his lesson.

``We have to get back to thinking one game at a time,'' Berumen said. ``Whether we play Ventura or Loara, that's who we'll be thinking about.''

Inzunza, a pesky 5-foot-10 guard, ignited Troy's second-half run, hitting a number of outside shots, driving the lane and getting his hands on loose balls. The Warriors had two possessions with a one-point lead in the fourth but couldn't add to it.

``They played with more heart than we did,'' Berumen said. ``I came in here expecting a blowout, to be honest, but they played well.''

Fullove had 14 points but clearly wasn't able to play his normal game. When he's healthy, Fullove is Simi Valley's best defender, a threat from the outside and a finisher in the open court. On Tuesday, he settled for jump shots after losing the ball on a drive to the basket early in the first quarter.

``It's hard for me to push off,'' Fullove said. ``I felt OK at the start of the game, but it got worse as the game went on. Right now I'd say I'm about 80 percent.''

That was enough against Troy, but will it be in the quarterfinals on Friday?

``It's getting better every day,'' he said. ``I made a lot of improvement over the weekend, so hopefully I'll keep getting better.