A physical game from start to finish, West Ranch earned itself a spot in the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division IIAA boys basketball playoffs Wednesday night, winning at Serrano of Phelan 73-46.

The Wildcats (16-11) struggled to find their shooting touch early, but quickly got on track with a balanced attack from the perimeter and the low post.

“They weren’t very big so we just wanted to keep the ball inside a little bit more,” said West Ranch head coach Sean LeGaux.

Seniors Hakeem Bradley and Kevin Sutton were there to get the job done in the down low.

Bradley finished the game with a double-double, recording 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Sutton recorded 10 points and six rebounds.

The Wildcats also hit 11 3-pointers to keep Serrano (14-12) guessing.

Senior guard David Franklin scored 12 points with eight assists for West Ranch.

“I thought we played a lot more focused and aggressive tonight than we did in our last few league games,” LeGaux said.

According to LeGaux, there were an estimated five fouls called in the first half, so the Wildcats had to increase their level of intensity.

West Ranch was in control heading into the half with a 20-point advantage.

The Diamondbacks were able to cut the lead to 13 in the third quarter, but the visitors regrouped and closed out the game with ease.

“We just didn’t back down tonight,” LeGaux said.

The Wildcats will play again on Friday at 7:30 p.m. against the winner of Valencia of Placentia and Fountain Valley.

pputignano@the-signal.com