SO. SECTION BOYS DIV. I-A: THOUSAND OAKS GETS A CHAMPIONSHIP DATE LANCERS OUST GLENDORA, WILL FACE LOYOLA FOR TITLE T.O. 74, GLENDORA 60.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

WESTLAKE VILLAGE - The ride wasn't going to end for Thousand Oaks in the semifinals this year. Not with Ben Olson, the football player moonlightinmg as a basketball player, dominating the inside, or Dave Anderson burying deep 3-point shots or Kevin Rex supplying the hustle.

It wasn't going to end in a bitter loss, one step away from the final like last basketball season or last fall's football playoffs, not with Casey Myers running the show, making important jumpers and drives inside, or with unsung Cory Mazea hanging around the baseline for layups in traffic.

It just wasn't.

And as Thousand Oaks, a bridesmaid through 42 frustrating basketball years, watched the final seconds tick off the clock while savoring its 74-60 victory over Glendora in the Southern Section Division I-A semifinal at Westlake High, Olson, Anderson and Rex, three star football players who have key roles on the basketball team, embraced and let out big yells.

``We weren't going to let it end the way it did last year.'' said Anderson, who had 18 points and five 3-point baskets. ``We weren't going to let that happen.''

Especially not at Westlake, the site of last year's disapointing semifinal loss to El Toro. Maybe it was supposed to happen this way, the Lancers (27-3) returning to the gym that caused them do much anguish last year, to avenge a game they felt they should have against a team they felt the should have beaten.

Olson, the 6-foot-5 center who will be playing football at Brigham Young next year, made sure of that, pounding Glendora with long-range jumpers and layups. Olson shrugs off his basketball skills, saying he plays simply to pass the time between one football season and another.

``I'm a football player playing basketball,'' Olson said. ``I just do it to stay in shape and have fun out there.''

Now he has one more basketball game to play.

``Last year we came up a little short and this year it was to make it all the way and now here we are.'' said Olson, who had 26 points. Thousand Oaks will meet Loyola of Los Angeles for the championship.

Thousand Oaks took control shortly into the game, shrugging off a four- point deficit to turn things around with a 9-4 run behin Mazea and Olson. The Lancers led 14-10 at the end of the first quarter.

They opened things up in the third quarter, pushing ahead to a 47-33 lead midway threw the period and leading 52 -39 going into the fourth.

Glendora got as close as eight points in the fourth, but Rex and Anderson both hit big 3-point shots to increase the lead and Glendora never threatened again.

``We've been here before and now we have to answer runs with big shots and that's what we did,'' Anderson said. ``We got some turnovers and stuck with it, and when you answer runs, you win big games.''

The Lancers are an experienced bunch with Anderson, a four-year starter, and Olson, Rex and Myers all starting for the third year. That experience showed in thre fourth quarter when they put the game away.

``These guys have been there and they know what it feels like to lose this kind of ballgame,'' Thousand Oaks coach Rick Endres said. ``There was no turning them away. They wanted to play more game. Now they will.''