SANTA ANA — Orange County prosecutors have concluded that an i-custody death in Anaheim that has led the suspect’s family to sue the city should not result in criminal charges, officials announced Monday.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office on Dec. 4 informed Anaheim Police Chief Jorge Cisneros that there was no criminal culpability on behalf of the officers who encountered 35-year-old Christopher Eisinger in a deadly struggle in March.

Police were called just after midnight March 2 to a report of an auto burglary. When police arrived Eisinger was seen attempting to open a side gate of a residence, according to a report from Senior Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Walker.

Eisinger “closely matched the description of the auto burglary suspect and was holding what appeared to be a metal pipe,” according to Walker’s report.

When the suspect was told to halt, he dropped the “metal object” and ran away, Walker said.

Police officers responding to the scene caught up to Eisinger with one officer pinning the suspect down with his knee and ordering him to “stay down,” Walker said.

Two more officers responding to the scene reported they saw Eisinger “violently” resisting arrest, Walker said.

During the struggle, Eisinger said, “Just shoot me,” Walker said. One of the officers assured him he would not be shot, she added.

After about a minute of tussling with officers, they got a handcuff on the suspect’s right wrist, but he kept fighting, Walker said.

“At one point, Eisinger grabbed Officer Warner’s Taser and Taser holster,” Walker reported.

Eisinger was again told to stop resisting and let go of the Taser, Walker said.

“Then give it to me,” Eisinger reportedly said, according to Walker.

When he was again told to stop resisting, Eisinger reportedly responded, “Sorry, it’s so fun,” according to Walker.

The suspect then kicked the officers, including one who fell back, Walker said.

“Eisinger continued to resist the officers, growled, screamed, grunted and rambled continuously,” Walker said.

The suspect was seen to be “exerting unusual strength and was possibly under the influence of some type of drug,” Walker said.

After about five minutes of wrestling with officers, “Eisinger became quiet,” Walker said.

“At this point he was sweating profusely but had no visible trauma to his face or head,” Walker said. “Eisinger then became unresponsive and appeared unconscious. Eisinger had a faint pulse and appeared to be breathing with perspiration around his mouth.”

Attempts were made to revive him, and he was rushed to West Anaheim Medical Center, where he was admitted in critical condition, Walker said. He was later taken to Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian, where he was pronounced dead on March 10, she added.

Eisinger was “diagnosed with right orbital edema, fractured left zygomatic arch and a sphenoid sinus fracture,” Walker said.

An autopsy performed on the suspect on March 14 did not reveal any visible skull fractures, but “significant swelling of brain,” Walker said.

Eisinger had a “small bleed at the base of the skull, right side,” and a “slightly enlarged” heart, Walker said.

The “cause of death was determined to be a sudden cardiac arrest due to occlusive coronary atherosclerosis and effects of methamphetamine,” Walker said.

“The manner of death was determined to be accidental,” she added.

Eisinger had acetone and methamphetamine in his system, Walker said.

Eisinger’s criminal history included arrests for gross vehicular manslaughter, possession of marijuana for sale, selling marijuana, spousal battery, and assault and battery on a peace officer, Walker said.

“The evidence shows Eisinger died as a result of his decision to exert himself while suffering from hypertrophy and dilation of the heart, recent and chronic substance abuse and a myriad of associated health problems,” Walker said.

Attorney Eric Dubin, who represents Eisinger’s mother in a lawsuit recently filed against Anaheim alleging wrongful death, said the District Attorney’s finding has “absolutely nothing to do with civil liability for causing our client’s death.”

Dubin noted the report focused on the criminal culpability of the officers involved, “an allegation that is extremely hard to prove in America for these types of cases.”

He added, “The issue we are investigating is did these officers cause the wrongful death of an unarmed man, and the evidence supports they did.”

Dubin said his office’s “preliminary review” of video available of the incident “confirms that the Anaheim police acted contrary to police protocol by placing the suspect on his stomach and for officers piled on top of him with their body weight to hold him down.”

Dubin added, “They remained in that position until he went limp. There is no explanation given as to why he was killed during this routine detention, and that is the issue we are seeking answers for.”

A man sustained life-threatening injuries, but was expected to recover, after he was stabbed near Plaza Square Park in the Old Towne area of Orange on Monday, Dec. 17.

Dispatchers received a 911 call at 8:36 p.m. reporting an unspecified incident near the intersection of West Chapman Avenue and Glassell Street, according to Orange Police Lt. Fred Lopez. He said responding officers found a 27-year-old man bleeding in the street. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital.

East Chapman will be closed from Glassell to Orange for approx 2 hours for an assault investigation. Avoid the area. pic.twitter.com/9YGXlukMkV

— Orange Police Department (@CityOfOrangePD) December 18, 2018

Medical staff determined that the man had suffered life-threatening stab wounds to his chest, but the victim was expected to survive his injuries, according to Lopez. He said it was unclear what was used to stab the man, and officers had not recovered a weapon from the scene as of 11 p.m. Monday.

Authorities did not immediately suggest a motive for the attack, release a description of a potential suspect, or identify the victim. The incident did not appear to be related to any other crime happening at the time, according to Lopez.

More than 27 years after two restaurant employees were gunned down in a Santa Ana fast food restaurant, prosecutors said Tuesday they have charged a man with two counts of murder in the crime.

Alejandro Galindo Dominguez, 45, of Ensenada, Mexico, pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder during his arraignment Tuesday, Dec. 18, after being charged on Dec. 12, according to a news release from the Orange County District Attorney’s office.

It said the killings took place in the course of a robbery at the Wienerschnitzel eatery, 1401 W. MacArthur Blvd., in July 1991. The bodies of Andres Bello and Juan Cabral, both of Costa Mesa, were hidden in the restaurant’s freezer before the shooter fled the scene, according to the release. They were 28 and 18 years old at the time of their deaths.

“He said he needed to work,” Bello’s widow, Consuela, told the Register in an interview three days after her husband died. “He was full of dreams for his children. He wanted to give them a future.”

His and Cabral’s slayings had been unsolved until Dominguez turned himself in to Border Patrol agents on Feb. 23, said the District Attorney’s release. He was subsequently brought into the custody of Santa Ana Police and arrested.

The defendant had been living in Mexico when he surrendered himself to authorities, said Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna. He said detectives had not identified any suspects in the 1991 double homicide until Dominguez stepped forward.

Dominguez’s next scheduled court appearance is a pre-trial hearing scheduled for Jan. 24. If convicted, Dominguez could face life in prison without the possibility of parole. He faces special circumstances allegations including murder during a robbery, multiple murders and personal use of a firearm.

EL SEGUNDO — A pair of shiny new Koho goalie pads sat under the Petersen family tree, 15 years ago.

The dad, Eric Petersen, had played goal at Bethel, a Division III school in St. Paul, Minn. The son, Cal, was only eight. He already had an eye on the net and all the cool equipment that comes with it. Eric wasn’t so sure.

“It’s such a tough position,” Eric said, from his home in Waterloo, Iowa. “You can’t have an off night. You have to bring it every night, and a lot of things depend on you. But my wife pulled an end-around on me.”

“She basically told my dad to let me do what I wanted to do,” Cal said Tuesday, at the Kings’ pre-game skate.

One level led to another, and Petersen was called into the Kings’ net on Nov. 13, against the Toronto Maple Leafs’ goal-scoring orchestra

He stopped 15 of 16 pucks. Three nights later he won his first start, against Chicago. Three nights after that he got his first shutout, against St. Louis.

Jonathan Quick returned, but Petersen had left a mark. He had a .927 save percentage and he went 4-4-1.

Petersen probably will return to Ontario in the AHL when Jack Campbell gets healthy, but he would seem to be the centerpiece of any extreme makeover the Kings might consider.

“They talk about how much faster the game is,” Petersen said. “That first game with Toronto was very fast. After that, I was able to slow it down and make it manageable. The biggest thing for me was realizing I could play on this level, that I could be comfortable. It’s just a matter of making my reads and trusting the plan.”

Confidence radiates from Petersen. He was the captain at Notre Dame, a rare distinction for a goaltender on any level. Jeff Jackson, the Irish coach, was also a goalie, and together they got to the NCAA Frozen Four in 2017.

After one year of high school, Petersen went to Chicago to play for the Young Americans, an elite AAA team that played and won tournaments all over.

“The first year, we found a house to rent there and we’d take turns staying with him,” Eric said. “I’d come up on my weekends and his mom and his aunt would be there during the week. The next couple of years, he stayed with a family and then he stayed in a hotel.”

Father and son agree that the fates were good to Cal, putting a United States Hockey League franchise in Waterloo.

The USHL is a full-fledged junior hockey league. Joe Pavelski played on the Waterloo Blackhawks team that won the Clark Cup, the USHL championship. But Petersen would sit in Young Arena and train his eyes on Brian Regan, the goalie who wound up at the University of New Hampshire and then in the Boston Bruins’ system.

“We had season tickets,” Petersen said. “The night they won the title is one of my great memories. But having the arena there was great because that’s where my dad and I would go and practice.”

“You’d have to get there at 6 a.m. to get ice time,” Eric said. “We had a backyard rink, too, but I’d try to pull a few strings and get us in there early.”

Later Petersen would play for the Blackhawks, where the Ducks’ Brandon Montour was a teammate. Petersen was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres but became a free agent and signed with the Kings. He said it would have been irresponsible not “to do my due diligence,” and the Sabres were in the midst of management transition.

The Petersens were sold on L.A. after they met with goaltending coach Bill Ranford, a former Stanley Cup champ in Edmonton, and developmental coach Dusty Imoo.

“They had a plan in place,” Eric said. “They told Cal they really liked his game but that he would have to make some changes. Cal was very technical in college, and now the Kings have brought the athleticism out of him. We looked at their track record and didn’t feel Cal could go to a better place.”

The Kings sometimes develop goalies for other teams. Jonathan Bernier was traded and so was Martin Jones. Now Quick is 32 and does not have a no-trade clause, and the Kings thirst for young talent or draft picks. The problem is that most contenders have solid goalie situations (if they didn’t, they wouldn’t be contenders).

Either way, one suspects Petersen will be house-shopping in Los Angeles, which, from a current hockey standpoint, is neither Iowa nor heaven.

Orange County’s top committed senior football recruits heading into National Signing Day on Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018:

Name, school, height, weight, position, college

CLASS OF 2019

Akili Arnold, Mission Viejo, 6-0, 175, DB, Utah State

Alec Bank, Tesoro, 6-5, 270, OL, Harvard

Charles Bein, San Clemente, 6-3, 170, P, Air Force

Evan Bennett, Mater Dei, 6-3, 315, DT, Oregon State

Michael Callahan, Yorba Linda, 6-4, 260, DE, Boise State

Jake Cossavella, Orange Lutheran, 6-4, 245, OL, Navy

Brendan Costello, San Clemente, 6-1, 190, QB, Oklahoma State

Sean Dollars, Mater Dei, 5-10, 190, RB/ATH, Oregon

Luke Felix-Fualalo, Mater Dei, 6-7, 300, OL, Utah

JoJo Forest, Mission Viejo, 5-11, 164, CB, Oregon State

Mase Funa, Mater Dei, 6-3, 240, LB, Oregon

Ryan Hilinski, Orange Lutheran, 6-3, 215, QB, South Carolina

Keyon Hudson-Ware, Mater Dei, 6-3, 308, DL, Oregon

Braedin Huffman-Dixon, Mater Dei, 6-3, 180, WR, Colorado

Richard Krebs, Servite, 6-3, 260, OL, Princeton

Tarik Luckett, JSerra, 6-2, 184 CB, Colorado

Mike Martinez, Mater Dei, 6-6, 245, TE, UCLA

Munir McClain, JSerra, 6-4, 200, WR, USC

Elijah Mojarro, Orange Lutheran, 6-5, 230, TE, Cal

Shawn Nielsen, JSerra, 6-3, 260, DL, San Diego State

William Nimmo, Mater Dei, 6-1, 190, S, UCLA

Case Ostrom, San Juan Hills, 6-1, 185, LB, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

Paul Piferi, Villa Park, 6-5, 210, QB, Purdue

Ethan Rae, Orange Lutheran, 6-5, 240, TE, USC

Sean Rhyan, San Juan Hills, 6-5, 302, OT, UCLA

Grant Ristoff, JSerra, 6-3, 230, DE, Penn

Reggie Strong, Orange Lutheran, 6-1, 190, S, Fresno State

Wyatt Terlaak, El Modena, 6-3, 320, OL, Navy

Kyle Trombley, Yorba Linda, 6-4, 260, OL, San Diego State

Joey Yellen, Mission Viejo, 6-3, 220, QB, Arizona State

CLASS OF 2020

Bryce Young, Mater Dei, 6-0, 185, QB, USC

RELATED

Albano’s Top 10 sophomore recruits to watch

Please send football recruiting news to Dan Albano at dalbano@scng.com or @ocvarsityguy on Twitter

Highlights and top scorers from the Orange County basketball games on Tuesday, Dec. 18.

BOYS BASKETBALL

Northwood opened Pacific Coast League play Tuesday night by knocking off No. 24 University 70-57 at University.  Seth Locke had 26 points and Trent Harper 18 for the Timberwolves (5-7). Will Stenta led University (9-6) with 21 points.

Dylan Thoerner scored 26 points as No. 13 Beckman beat Portola 67-44 in another PCL opener. Aaman Soma snared 11 rebounds for the Patriots (9-3). Seyed Hashemi had 12 points for Portola.

No. 11 Trabuco Hills jumped out to a 10-point first-quarter lead and beat El Toro 61-54. Kelvin Cabrera led the Mustangs (8-3) with 15 points.

No. 6 Cypress won its 10th straight game, beating Cerritos 68-52. Jared Brown had 17 points for the Centurions (11-1).

No. 5 Villa Park hit 90 points for the third time this season in a 90-45 win over Brea Olinda. Dino Sdrales had 19 points and Julien Franklin 15 for the Spartans (14-1), who stormed out to a 30-7 first-quarter lead.

GIRLS

No. 8 Los Alamitos bounced back from two losses in the Spartan Classic last week to rout Marina 55-20. Sydney Gandy had 22 points for the Griffins (10-3).

No. 16 University got back to defense to beat Northwood 38-31 in a Pacific Coast League opener at home. Junior center Aryn Press had 14 rebounds and eight blocked shots for the Trojans (11-5).

Canyon (8-4) got 23 points from Taryn Uyematsu and 16 rebounds from Lea Kitsigianis to beat Cypress 51-34.

Tuesday’s top scorers

BOYS

Pts    Player, school

26    Locke, Northwood

26    Thoerner, Beckman

22    Covey, Estancia

21    Stenta, University

19    Sdrales, Villa Park

18    Harper, Northwood

17    K. Anderson, Irvine

17    Brown, Cypress

17    Johnson, Esperanza

17    Pua, Pacifica

16    Rude, Savanna

15    Cabrera, Trabuco Hills

15    Franklin, Villa Park

15    Hernandez, Godinez

14    Francis, Esperanza

14    Robles, Godinez

13    Anderson, Trabuco Hills

13    Alvarez, Esperanza

13    Brown, Pacifica

13    Fabisiak, Pacifica

13    Henriquez, El Toro

13    Khaliq, Savanna

13    Valdez, Godinez

GIRLS

Pts    Player, school

23    Uyematsu, Canyon

22    Gandy, Los Alamitos

19    Clark, Trabuco Hills

16    Carrido, Trabuco Hills

14    Copeland, Edison

11    Miller, Los Alamitos

11    Sakamoto, Marina

11    Santos, Beckman

10    Bruening, Corona del Mar

10    Ersu, Corona del Mar

10    Farrell, Canyon

10    Muller, Newport Harbor

10    Paredes, Beckman

10    Press, University

10    Taboyoyang, Portola

10    Vickers, Newport Harbor

Coaches and team representatives are encouraged to email their scores and stats after every game to the Register at preps@ocregister.com.

Police arrested three people on Tuesday, Dec. 18 on suspicion of stabbing a man the night before in Old Towne Orange.

The attack about 8:30 p.m. Monday left one man hospitalized with life-threatening wounds to his chest, said Orange Police Lt. Fred Lopez. He said the victim was taken to the hospital and was expected to survive. No other injuries were reported in the incident.

Orange Police Sgt. Phil McMullin said three suspects in the stabbing were arrested Tuesday on suspicion of attempted murder. They were held at the Orange County Central Men’s Jail and identified as Daniel Rivera, 26, of Orange; Isack Valdez, 26, of Anaheim; and Armando Alvarez, 18, of Santa Ana.

Police didn’t immediately say what led up to the stabbing incident, or release the name of the victim.

NEW YORK — Taking a different tone from a month ago, LeBron James said during a visit to New York that he would love to play with his friend and Team USA cohort Carmelo Anthony.

On its face, the statement is obvious: James’ friendship with Anthony is no secret. But after essentially dismissing the question during a November interview in Orlando, James was more willing to entertain the idea of the 12-time All-Star joining the Lakers.

“I don’t run the team and obviously there’s some things that need to be worked out on both sides,” he said. “But I’ve always wanted to play along Melo and if the opportunity presents itself, it would be great. So we’ll see what happens.”

When asked a similar question on Nov. 17, James said he “had no idea” and noted that the Lakers didn’t have an open roster spot.

That part is still true: The Lakers have a fully stocked roster with 15 players. But James has seemed to be at least a little more bold in expressing his desire to play with Anthony, who is on the Houston Rockets roster but not playing.

It’s been a rough run for a player who was once considered one of the top scorers in the league: He was bought out by Oklahoma City before the season started, then picked up by the Rockets on a minimum salary. But after just 10 games, during which the Rockets struggled, the team pulled the plug on the Anthony experiment. He’s been training in New York for most of the time since.

James was spotted Monday night out on the town with Anthony. A story by The Athletic earlier this month also expressed that James wished to play with Anthony, but had not approached Lakers management about that desire.

Anthony averaged 13.5 points and 5.4 rebounds while shooting 40.5 percent during his Rockets tenure.

Last month in Orlando, LeBron said it wasn’t a question for him if Carmelo Anthony should join the Lakers. Tonight, he said he would love if the opportunity presents itself, and “obviously there’s some things that need to be worked out on both sides.” pic.twitter.com/jXyetKRauj

— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) December 19, 2018

RONDO, INGRAM HOPE TO PRACTICE THURSDAY

For Rajon Rondo, a stint in the G League lasted a little longer than a day. For Brandon Ingram, it was officially less than four hours.

After a Tuesday practice with the South Bay Lakers, both were recalled to the Lakers’ roster. After a monthlong absence for Rondo (fractured right hand) and two weeks out for Ingram (sprained left ankle), the team is now hopeful they’ll be ready to practice on Thursday and return to action Friday night against New Orleans at Staples Center.

“They had a good practice today,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said. “As long as nothing swells up overnight when we get back on Thursday, in practice they’ll be with us going full speed.”

Rondo fully participated in G League practice, Walton said, drawing on information provided from team officials in El Segundo. Ingram was more limited, but also “felt great and he looked good.”

The Lakers have played the last seven games without both players, during which they have gone 3-4.

The Register will have coverage Wednesday, Dec. 19 of the news and events from the first day of the early signing period for high school football.

The early signing period, which lasts three days, allows football athletes their first chance to officially sign a binding National Letter of Intent with a college. There will also be a signing period for football athletes that begins Feb. 6.

If you or your school has news Wednesday about a signing, please let the Register know about it so that it can be included in our coverage.

Follow the instructions below.

ATHLETE INFORMATION

The Register will publish a list of the Orange County football athletes who officially sign Wednesday.

To be included in the list, please email the athlete’s information to preps@ocregister.com by 5 p.m.

Include this information: 1. athlete’s name; 2. current high school; 3. college signed with.

ATHLETE PHOTO

The Register will accept submitted photos of Orange County football athletes signing a letter of intent or taking part in a ceremony at home, school or other location.

Email the photos to preps@ocregister.com by 5 p.m. Please include the athlete’s name, high school and college selected.

SANTA CLARA — That theory about this next stretch of the schedule featuring mid-major opponents at the right time for USC? Not so much.

Freshman Trey Wertz scored 11 of his 28 points in the second overtime, Josip Vrankic had a career-high 22 points and Santa Clara held on after blowing a 19-point lead in regulation, beating USC 102-92 on Tuesday night.

Tahj Eaddy added 21 points and eight assists, Willie Caruso had 12 points and Josh Martin grabbed 18 rebounds for Santa Clara (6-6).

Wertz paved the way after being mostly silent in regulation, outscoring USC during the two overtimes 17-12. Wertz had six points in the first overtime then scored all but two of Santa Clara’s 13 points in the second extra period.

“It’s an unfortunate way to lose a game,” USC coach Andy Enfield said. “In the second overtime we only scored three points and our guards just couldn’t make a shot. That’s on us as coaches.”

It didn’t help that the Trojans’ two leading scorers this season, Nick Rakocevic and Bennie Boatwright, were on the bench during the second overtime after fouling out.

Jordan Usher scored 22 points for USC. Jonah Mathews added 20 points and Shaqquan Aaron had 17 points.

USC (5-6) rallied from 15 points down in the final six minutes of regulation to force overtime, but the Trojans missed a chance to win in the first extra period, then managed only three points in the second.

“He just really stepped up and made some big plays,” Broncos coach Herb Sendek said. “It’s a great moment for our guys. We’ve battled a tremendous amount of adversity this year.”

Santa Clara was picked to finish second to last in the West Coast Conference in the preseason.

“This week we just have to focus on ourselves,” Enfield said on Monday. “We can beat any team, but we can also lose to any team.”

That the latter part of Enfield’s statement came true is going to be a tough one for the Trojans to swallow. They had only one stretch when they were effective and really struggled in both overtimes.

USHER ON IN

USC’s highlights were few and far between, but Usher provided one when he powered through the lane for an emphatic one-handed dunk early in the second half. The play drew a big reaction from the crowd at Leavey Center. Usher was fouled by Martin and made the free throw to complete the three-point play.

Get out the way!!@CallMeUsh is coming through! pic.twitter.com/ou03Lq9bix

— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) December 19, 2018

TREY’S TURNOVERS

Wertz had eight of Santa Clara’s 19 turnovers and had to handle the point guard duties after Eaddy fouled out in the first overtime.

HE SAID IT

“I watched a lot of film on them, I’ve never seen them play this well.” – Boatwright, referring to the Broncos.

UP NEXT

USC: The Trojans return home to host Southern Utah on Friday, the first meeting between the two programs.

Clutch. pic.twitter.com/WRiDvJfmYL

— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) December 19, 2018

USC 80, Santa Clara 79 with 13 seconds to go thanks to @jonah_mathews4's clutch basket! pic.twitter.com/76nurqXK0Z

— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) December 19, 2018

LOS ANGELES — Fresh off a frustrating trip in which they went 0-2-2, the Kings needed something good to happen Tuesday when they hosted the high-flying Winnipeg Jets, who entered the game tied with Nashville and Calgary for the most points in the Western Conference.

The something good was rookie forward Austin Wagner. He scored two goals to lead the Kings to a 4-1 victory over the Jets before 17,405 at Staples Center.

Alex Iafallo also scored for the Kings, as did Nate Thompson into an empty net as time was winding down. Goalie Jonathan Quick was splendid, stopping 27 shots.

The Kings (12-20-3, 27 points) still have a long way to go, but this kind of win over an outstanding team is a start. The Jets (22-10-2, 46 points) had won five consecutive games and nine of their previous 10.

Wagner’s goals were his second and third of the season. As he sat at his locker afterward, beads of sweat on his face, he basked in the glory of the first two-goal game of his young career.

“It was a good feeling, but the bigger thing was we won the game,” Wagner said. “It’s a really good hockey club over there, so to get that win tonight is awesome.”

Wagner gave the Kings a 1-0 lead at 13:00 of the first period. Daniel Brickley took a long shot. With the puck in the air, Wagner deflected it toward the net. Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck made the initial save, but when he did the puck went airborne. As Hellebuyck tried to surmise its whereabouts, the puck landed, bounced behind him and crossed the goal line.

That Austin Wagner deflection tho @LAKings | #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/0hrhUMnn51

— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) December 19, 2018

Brickley had the only assist for his first point in his second game after being recalled from Ontario of the AHL.

The Jets tied the score less than two minutes into the second period on a deflection of their own. Bryan Little took a shot from just outside the far edge of the right faceoff circle, and teammate Mathieu Perreault deflected it past Quick for the equalizer at 1:52. It was No. 8 for Perreault.

Not long after, Kings defenseman Drew Doughty covered the goal for an out-of-position Quick and Doughty knocked down an incoming shot that appeared as though it would have been a goal.

Wow what save by Drew Doughty.
…at least you can't lose your front teeth again, right? pic.twitter.com/fNddKWXxjP

— LA Kings (@LAKings) December 19, 2018

The Kings went on the power play at 4:59 and appeared to have scored, but the goal was disallowed after the Jets challenged that the Kings were offside.

When Kings interim coach Willie Desjardins was asked what he liked best about his team’s performance, it centered on their response to that moment.

“I liked lots of things,” he said. “I thought the best was probably when the goal got called back on the offside, that we stayed with it. It didn’t affect us and we kept playing hard.”

Undaunted, the Kings took a 2-1 lead on a goal by Alex Iafallo at 9:08 of the period. Anze Kopitar looked like he was going to shoot directly in front, but he passed off to Doughty, who took a shot from an angle. Iafallo stuck his stick in there at the last second and got the goal.

Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty team up for this beautiful goal that Alex Iafallo made sure went into the net #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/uskxh9nxp9

— LA Kings (@LAKings) December 19, 2018

It was No. 7 for Iafallo. Doughty and Kopitar had the assists.

Wagner scored his second goal of the game at 18:08 of the second for a 3-1 lead. The speedy Wagner received a pass from Matt Luff in the Kings’ end, got ahead of the defense and came in all alone on Hellebuyck, depositing the puck into the left side of the net. Luff had the only assist.

The only thing faster than Austin Wagner is how fast LA Kings fans are falling in love with Austin Wagner #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/NvjQFzxY0M

— LA Kings (@LAKings) December 19, 2018

Wagner loved being able to use his speed.

“Luffer gave me a great pass and just put my head down, skate hard, drive hard to separate myself and create some space and I was fortunate enough to put the puck in the net there,” he said.

Luff said he wasn’t worried that any of the Jets would catch up to Wagner.

“It was a good play by him to get going, and it was a good result,” he said.

The Kings held in check a team that came in averaging 3.64 goals, third-best in the league. The Jets’ top line of Nikoalj Ehlers, Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler has 114 points this season but had none on Tuesday.

“Everyone played well,” he said. “Every single player in our lineup made a difference out there tonight. Our (third) line stepped up and had some big goals for us, and I thought just everyone played well and we competed.

“We played a good defensive game as well, which we’ve been lacking.”

Hellebuyck, who stopped 27 of 30 shots, complimented the Kings.

“They worked hard, they played a good game, so we have to give credit to them,” he said. “They played a pretty good defensive game. We had our chances and they had theirs and, unfortunately, this is just one of those that we have to chalk up as they played well.”

"The boys played great tonight. We battled and got a win."

The @LAKings broke their offensive drought, led by Austin Wagner's first career multi-goal game pic.twitter.com/18pOGNXbAh

— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) December 19, 2018

"Not only did we play well defensively and Quickie played well, but I thought we did well on all ends of the ice. We really controlled that game start to finish."
– Drew Doughty on tonight's win pic.twitter.com/195vi5R9Q3

— LA Kings (@LAKings) December 19, 2018

LOS ANGELES — The learning finally began to curve for the Kings on Tuesday night.

Rookie Austin Wagner scored twice. Rookie Matt Luff shook off an offside, which nullified a goal after Winnipeg called for a replay, and sprung Wagner loose for his second goal. Rookie Daniel Brickley fired the puck from the left point that Wagner redirected for the first goal.

If you’ve been following this so far, you might get the impression that the Kings scored more than once. In fact, they beat the Jets 4-1. It might have been the Kings’ best game of the season. Certainly Winnipeg, which came in tied for the Western Conference lead with 46 points, is the best team the Kings have beaten.

It was only their third win since Nov. 26, but it broke a four-game losing streak. In doing so, the Kings reached back for memories, with Jonathan Quick playing at a Stanley Cup-winning level and with Anze Kopitar looking much more like himself.

But the kids, whom the hockey world has largely judged unworthy to be a part of the Kings’ rebuild, were imprinting themselves in all three periods.

One can imagine how uncomfortable it must be for the rookies, trying to get themselves situated in a room with ring-bearing veterans, and wondering how much they’re to blame for this 12-20-3 record.

“It’s been a little bit of both,” Luff said. “It’s exciting to be in the NHL and get playing time, but at the same time, L.A. is a winning organization. It’s not accustomed to losing games. We’re just trying to help out, chip in with our play in all three zones, and just try to contribute.”

Luff was maybe a centimeter away from going into the Jets’ zone legally. The puck found its way to Jake Muzzin on the left point, and Muzzin cranked if off a Winnipeg stick and past goalie Connor Hellebuyck.

The Jets called for another look and the goal was disallowed. Or maybe the Jets were just suspicious because the Kings had actually scored on a power play.

The Kings got their 2-1 lead anyway when Kopitar slid his way into the slot and fed Drew Doughty, whose shot was guided in by Alex Iafallo.

With 1:52 left in the second period, Luff got control of a rebound in his zone and fed Wagner, who was already streaking down the middle. When Wagner beat Hellebuyck, the Kings had a two-goal lead that they refused to surrender, with Quick making a gasp-worthy save on Nikolaj Ehlers.

Wagner’s speed has been a conversation piece all season, and Luff, an undrafted free agent, had goals in four consecutive games earlier this season.

“We’ve known each other from previous years, playing together,” Luff said. “He’s probably one of the top guys in the league in speed. I just threw it out there. He was wide open and made a great play. He made my job a lot easier.”

“You know that’s a really good hockey team over there,” Wagner said, “so to get that win was awesome.”

Winnipeg has the league’s best power play, with the lethal Patrik Laine setting up on the left side in the manner of Alex Ovechkin. But here they went 0 for 3 in 4:16 of power play time and also came up empty in the final 2:34, with Hellebuyck on the bench.

Kopitar won 16 of 23 faceoffs for the Kings, who rarely let Winnipeg frolic in the offensive zone. Jets coach Paul Maurice noted that L.A. blocked 18 shots, four by Adrian Kempe.

The Jets got to the Western Conference finals last year, continuing their steady buildup. If the Kings are looking to reassemble themselves, Winnipeg might be a good model. Beginning in 2011, the Jets hit it big on six consecutive first-round draft choices: center Mark Schiefele, defenseman Jacob Trouba, defenseman Josh Morrissey, left wing Ehlers, left wing Kyle Connor, and right wing Laine. They also pilfered right wing Blake Wheeler from Boston and still have center Bryan Little, their top draft from 2005.

Of course, the Jets could afford patience because Winnipeg was too enchanted with its second shot at an NHL team to demand immediate mastery. The Jets were the Atlanta Thrashers until the 2011-12 season. The original Jets, who went back to the World Hockey Association days, became the Phoenix (now Arizona) Coyotes in 1996-97.

The Kings don’t want to do the losing that it will take to assemble all those first-half-of-the-first-round draft picks. For one night anyway, their young guys played beyond their pedigree.

YPSILANTI, Mich. — Freshman Collin Welp had his first double-double and Robert Cartwright hit a 3-pointer with 11.3 seconds left to help UC Irvine beat Eastern Michigan 52-48 on Wednesday night.

Welp finished with 11 points and a season-high 10 rebounds, Max Hazzard scored 14 points and Evan Leonard added 10 for UCI. The Anteaters (11-2), off to their best start since 2000-01, have won 10 consecutive road games – tied with Virginia for the longest active streak in Division I.

The Eagles went scoreless for nearly 10 minutes as UCI scored 16 consecutive points – including seven by Hazzard – to open a 42-34 lead with 7:03 left. The Anteaters didn’t score again until Eyassu Worku’s jumper with 2:56 remaining to extend their lead to 44-40.

The teams traded baskets before Paul Jackson converted a three-point play that pulled EMU within one with 1:34 left. Cartwright, a graduate transfer from Stanford, came up with a loose ball, was fouled and made the second of two free throws.

After the Eagles missed on the other end, Cartwright banked in a 3-pointer late in the shot clock to make it 50-45. Kevin McAdoo answered with a 3-pointer but Evan Leonard made two foul shots with three seconds left to cap the scoring.

UCI out-rebounded the Eagles 47-26, dominated points in the paint (26-12) and second-chance points (19-3) and forced 12 turnovers.

“We were terrific defensively and on the glass and sometimes you can win that way,” UCI coach Russell Turner said. “We believe that defensive rebounding can win and tonight it did that. The way we out-rebounded EMU showed our team’s intensity and will to win and I am very pleased with that.”

Elijah Minnie led Eastern Michigan (5-6) with 15 points. Jackson, who came in averaging a team-leading 13.4 points per game, scored four on 1-of-10 shooting.

Neither team shot well, with UCI going 21 for 62 from the field (33.9 percent) and just 6 for 23 (26.1 percent) from 3-point range. UCI held the hosts to just 34.7 percent (17 for 49) shooting.

UCI continues its two-game Midwestern trip on Friday at Butler.

Robert Cartwright talks about his game-winning 3-pointer and UCI’s 52-48 win over EMU. #TWZ pic.twitter.com/0vH5apHe9o

— UCI M Basketball (@UCImbb) December 20, 2018

More than five months after his racist and xenophobic rants on social media triggered a national uproar, a lead San Bernardino County gang prosecutor remains on paid leave while an administrative investigation winds toward a conclusion.

Michael Selyem, who has worked for the District Attorney’s Office for 12 years, generated ire with civil rights groups in July for his spate of Facebook and Instagram attacks on Mexican immigrants, former first Lady Michelle Obama, U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, and a still unidentified victim of a police shooting, which Selyem’s critics quickly charged as “hateful rhetoric.”

“Mr. Selyem is still employed by the District Attorney’s office and is currently on leave. The District Attorney’s office cannot comment further because this is a personnel matter,” office spokeswoman Kimberly Fuller said in an email.

Selyem continues to receive a base salary of $155,168 per year and benefits valued at $67,275 per year, county spokesman David Wert said.

Although the District Attorney’s Office had become aware of Selyem’s social media posts and launched an administrative investigation on June 25, it wasn’t until July 9 — three days after the Southern California News Group broke the story — that Selyem was suspended with pay. During a news conference that day, District Attorney Mike Ramos said his office “does not condone hate, discrimination or incitement of violence.”

“Our community and the entire criminal justice system depends on having a fair, ethical, and unbiased prosecutor,” Ramos said at the time.

The dates when Selyem posted his offensive social media rants, which he subsequently deleted, is still unclear. On Waters, he said, “Being a loud-mouthed (expletive) in the ghetto you would think someone would have shot this bitch by now …”

In an online argument with someone over the police shooting of a civilian, Selyem wrote, “That s—bag got exactly what he deserved. … You reap what you sow. And by the way go f— yourself you liberal s—bag.”

It was unclear which police shooting Selyem was referencing, and whether or not it was an open case in San Bernardino County or had occurred elsewhere.

Selyem also posted a doctored picture of Michelle Obama holding a sign saying, “Trump grabbed my penis.”

Another Selyem post included a Facebook meme of a smiling Mexican man wearing a sombrero with the words, “Mexican word of the day: Hide.”

The controversy drew the Rev. Jessie Jackson and other civil rights leaders to the city in protest. They demanded Selyem’s ouster and questioned how any criminal defendant, especially blacks and Latinos, could get a fair shake with Selyem as the prosecutor.

“We are certain that this disease in Deputy Selyem’s heart has impacted every prosecutorial decision he has made over the last 12 years,” said Francine Brookins, pastor of Beth-El A.M.E. Church in Fontana and friend of Rep. Maxine Waters, during a July 11 protest outside the San Bernardino County Government Center.

Lawyers at the San Bernardino County Public Defender’s Office reviewed more than 500 of their cases in which Selyem was assigned prosecutor, but found no conflicts, Public Defender G. Christopher Gardner said. However, Selyem was found to have engaged in some heated exchanges with prospective black jurors during a few trial proceedings. But those trials resulted in defendants either being acquitted or found guilty of lesser charges, Gardner said.

Only one deputy public defender, Sergio Salcedo, has taken issue with Selyem prosecuting the case of one of his clients. He subpoenaed Selyem’s employment records in September and questions why Selyem was allowed to continue working cases and negotiate a plea bargain with at least one defendant between June 25, the day the District Attorney’s Office launched its investigation, and July 9, when Selyem was suspended.

Gardner said in a telephone interview Wednesday that no other issues regarding Selyem have arisen at his office. He said he has maintained regular contact with Assistant District Attorney Michael Fermin on the case, but has just been told the “investigation is ongoing.”

“I know they’re taking it seriously. I know they’re doing their due diligence, but I’m not privy to any new information,” he said.

Selyem, 51, of Placentia, worked as a jail deputy for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department from 1994 to 2002, when he retired for undisclosed reasons. He moved on to law school, graduating from UCLA’s School of Law in 2004. He then went to work for the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office in 2006.

Those who have kept a watchful eye on developments in the case question why no action has been taken after six months.

A. Majadi, president of the San Bernardino Branch of the NAACP, believes District Attorney Mike Ramos, who declined to comment for this article, could have been more swift to take action and has been in “lame duck” status since his defeat in June to incoming District Attorney Jason Anderson.

“Of course we are disappointed, but not surprised, because it’s a personnel issue, and there are certainly laws and policies that have to be adhered to,” Majadi said in a telephone interview Wednesday. “But (Ramos) did not meet with us when we asked him to meet with us. He has not reached out. He has avoided the issue in total. I think it was done deliberately to spite the community that removed him” from office.

Wert stressed that some things are beyond Ramos’ control. The county’s human resources and employee relations divisions, along with county counsel, have been leading the charge in the investigation, he said.

“The county certainly understands the community’s frustration, but it would be far more frustrating for everyone if the county mishandled this in some way,” Wert said.

Given the unusual nature of the case, a longer investigation may have been appropriate, said Loyola Law professor Laurie Levenson.

“Hopefully, they are checking into who else in the office was posting such materials, what the reaction was, how defense lawyers are using it to attack their cases, etc.,” Levenson said. “I would expect that they would be finished by early in the new year. It is not the type of thing that should be dragged out forever.”

Jerry Hairston Jr. still remembers the day in 2001 when a 41-year-old Harold Baines collected two hits against a 24-year-old Roy Halladay.

It was a July 21 game between the Orioles and Blue Jays at Toronto’s SkyDome. The Orioles led 1-0 when Baines batted in the second inning with runners on second and third. Baines fouled off back-to-back pitches from Halladay, then stroked a two-run single into the outfield. Baines hit a home run against Halladay later in the game, a 9-5 Baltimore win. It proved to be the final four-hit game of Baines’ career.

“I remember (Halladay) throwing everything at Harold Baines – split, cutter, sinker – it didn’t matter,” Hairston said. “Harold Baines squared him up.”

Ask Hairston if he thinks Baines deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, and a bias emerges. At least it’s an interesting bias. Baines was teammates with Hairston’s father, Jerry Sr., on the Chicago White Sox in the 1980s. Baines, the younger Hairston said, “was my boyhood hero.” When Hairston broke into the major leagues with the Baltimore Orioles in 1997, Baines was still playing at age 38.

“As a kid, we always wanted Harold Baines at the plate when the game was on the line,” Hairston said. “Fast forward 15-17 years later, I’m playing in Baltimore and that was our saying: ‘we want to get Harold up there.’ That was a team with Cal Ripken. We always wanted Cal at the plate, but we knew Harold was going to put a really good at-bat together.

“Once you’re in, you’re a Hall of Famer,” Hairston said. “I can tell you who deserves to be in, but as far as once you’re in the Hall of Fame, nobody has a right to say he doesn’t belong there.”

For better or worse, Hairston is right. The definition of a Baseball Hall of Famer isn’t written in a dictionary. A “Hall of Famer” can only be defined only by its examples. A conceptual framework was first offered on Feb. 2, 1936, when Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner were announced as the inaugural class. By Dec. 10, that framework had expanded to include Baines and pitcher Lee Smith, who were voted in by a Veterans Committee.

Hairston wasn’t on that committee, but White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf was. So was Tony La Russa, Baines’ manager in Chicago and Oakland. So was Pat Gillick, who traded for Baines as the Orioles’ general manager in 1997. They were presumably among the 12 members of the 16-person “Today’s Game Era” committee who voted for Baines.

The timing of the vote was problematic. The Baseball Writers Association of America – a group consisting of hundreds of voters, separate from the committee – received their Hall of Fame ballots in November. Some voters had already mailed their ballots in when Baines and Smith were selected on Dec. 10. Some had not. The deadline to submit ballots is Dec. 31.

Baines never appeared on more than 6.1 percent of BBWAA ballots in five years of eligibility (2007-11). Overnight, voters had to resolve their concept of the Hall of Fame with a new member who went 0-for-5 with five strikeouts in their own vote. I do not have a Hall of Fame ballot this year, so I reached out via email to about a hundred BBWAA members who do: how does Harold Baines being in the Hall affect your vote?

One voter said he was forced to reflect.

“It made me rethink some borderline guys I’d passed over,” he wrote, “but whom I feel had equal or better careers than Baines (i.e. Walker, Sheffield, McGriff, etc…).” This voter requested anonymity because he planned to explain his ballot later for publication.

“It reaffirmed for me Edgar Martinez’s viability as a candidate and gave me reason to believe that Hall of Famers value things that many voices today do not: Longevity, the compilation of career numbers, an identity with a single team,” wrote Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. “There is more reason to consider advanced metrics, but it reaffirms for me, too, that the HOF peers value other elements in what they consider a Hall of Fame career.”

Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe wrote that “if anything, it’s a reason to be more selective” with his ballot. This was echoed by David Lennon, who wrote in Newsday that Baines’ selection “nudged” him in the direction of voting for only three players this year.

They were in the minority, however. The vast majority who responded to my email said their definition of a Hall of Famer wasn’t affected by Baines.

“The Era Committees have their standards. We have ours. And actually, I like that the two groups come at it from different perspectives,” wrote Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

“It’s a different procedure, a different electorate and different standards, as the main body of BBWAA voters becomes younger and more analytically inclined,” wrote colleague Jim Alexander. “If they feel Harold Baines belongs in the Hall, that’s their choice.”

The Athletic’s Jayson Stark, who will receive the prestigious J.G. Taylor Spink Award in Cooperstown this July, has a BBWAA ballot this year. He also served on a previous version of the Veterans Committee.

“I think the Baines election will have a bigger impact on those committees than it will on the BBWAA elections … Those committees just think differently, analyze differently and go about it differently than we do,” Stark wrote. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. The reason those Veterans Committees exist is to give players a second look from a group with a different perspective. So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that they would occasionally elect a player we gave very little support to. Plus their ballot is filled with players like Baines, who were either right on the line of great/not quite great enough, or had long careers as very good players who were never thought of as ‘great’ in the way the writers have come to define our Hall of Famers.”

“So I can’t imagine there will be another Veterans Committee debate on ANY offensive player over the next decade where someone doesn’t eventually say in the room: ‘What about Harold Baines?’ Or: ‘Wasn’t this guy a better player than Harold Baines?’ ”

Answering that question by the numbers is a fool’s errand. Baines paced the American League in slugging percentage in 1984 and never again led his league in a major category. His career milestones for hits (2,866), home runs (384) and runs batted in (1,625) fall short of the typical Hall standards. Yet if Stark is correct, Baines’ selection might open Cooperstown for players who had similar careers in the years to come – just not in January, when the BBWAA ballot is announced.

Hairston, who became a commentator on SportsNet LA once his playing career ended, realized the definition of a “Hall of Famer” could be interpreted very differently by a player and a writer even before Baines was selected.

“When you’re on the field, you can really feel that person’s presence,” he said. “Certain players, it may not show in the box score, but they had their fingerprints on certain games. You could just feel his presence.

“Writers were saying, ‘nobody cares about game-winning RBIs,’ but as players, managers, are you kidding me? That’s so important. Those are the guys that want that last at-bat. Those are the guys who want to take the last shot. … Harold Baines, teammates want that guy who wants that last at-bat. That’s what sports is about to athletes: When it’s all said and done, who’s going to help me win?”

Emotional moment for #WhiteSox slugger Harold Baines, wishing his father was still around to see him in the Hall of Fame https://t.co/FNADr7oWAI pic.twitter.com/rScdqhSOaB

— WGN TV News (@WGNNews) December 11, 2018

United Launch Alliance for the second time this week has pulled back from the launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base, this time just minutes before liftoff.

The conglomerate of Lockheed Martin and Boeing set a new launch window to put a next generation spy satellite into orbit at 5:31 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20.

An exact reason for the most recent delay was not given. The original launch was scheduled for Friday, Dec. 7, which was delayed until the following Saturday, only to be put off again for an attempt on Tuesday, Dec. 18.

Launch Alert: we have declared a scrub for today's launch of the #DeltaIVHeavy. We will set up for a 24 hour recycle and the next launch attempt will be 12/20 at 5:31pm PST.

— ULA (@ulalaunch) December 20, 2018

The eyes of space enthusiasts around the Los Angeles area were glued to the skies on Wednesday evening shortly after sunset, expecting a dramatic display.

The launch scheduled for 5:44 p.m. promised to create a light show as it rose above the Earth and its exhaust plumes were expected to be seen in sunlight at higher altitudes.

The largest of ULA’s Delta class of rockets – the Delta 4-Heavy – utilizes three rocket boosters, which were not intended to be reused.

The mission ULA, called NROL-71, was commissioned by the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office and is intended to put a secret spy satellite into low Earth orbit, about 1,200 miles above the surface. The satellite is said to represent the next step in imaging technology.

Southern California house prices rose in November by the smallest margin in nearly four years as sales continue to lag, according to a report out this week by the California Association of Realtors.

The median price of an existing Southern California house – or price at the midpoint of all sales — was $512,000 in November, state Realtors reported.

That’s up 2.3 percent year over year, the region’s smallest percentage gain since January 2015.

“The slowdown in price growth is occurring throughout the state, including regions that have strong economic fundamentals, such as the San Francisco Bay Area,” said Leslie Appleton-Young, state Realtor chief economist.

The statewide median was $554,760, up 1.5 percent.

San Francisco saw its first house price drop in 1 ½ years. Prices also fell in Sonoma County and Santa Clara County (home to Silicon Valley), dropping year over year for the first time in six years.

Price gains were below average in all four counties covered by the Southern California News Group:

• Los Angeles County had a median house price of $553,940 last month, up 4.3 percent. The average price gain was 7.5 percent for the year as a whole.
• Orange County’s median was $795,000, up 1.3 percent, vs. a 2018 average of 5.2 percent.
• Riverside County’s median was $400,000, up 4.4 percent, vs. a 2018 average of 6.2 percent.
• San Bernardino County’s median was $299,450, up 6.9 percent, vs. a 2018 average of 8.1 percent.

Lagging sales were a key reason as buyers react to higher house prices coupled with increased interest rates.

In Southern California, house sales fell 10.1 percent in November from the same month a year ago, Realtor economists reported.

Sales of existing single-family homes had been down year over year in Southern California in 13 of the past 17 months.

Every Southern California county saw similar declines. Sales fell 14.4 percent in Orange County, 11.2 percent in Los Angeles County, 9 percent in Riverside County and 3.2 percent in San Bernardino County.

Statewide, house sales decreased 13.4 percent.

Forty-one of 51 California counties posted sales drops, and statewide listings of homes for sale increased for an eighth consecutive month following three straight years of declines, the report said.

Buyers, the state Realtor report says, “continue to sit on the sidelines.”

LOS ANGELES — In the aftermath of USC’s first losing season in nearly two decades, Clay Helton began an extensive offseason to-do list.

Since the season-ending loss to Notre Dame on Thanksgiving weekend, Helton was tasked with replacing half of his coaching staff and preparing for the early signing period, the first opportunity for prospects to sign binding letters of intent with schools.

It marked a frantic stretch.

“I felt like I had a phone duct taped to my head,” Helton said.

Some dividends came Wednesday, as USC announced an early signing class of 18 recruits for 2019. It was a more sizable haul than at this point last season when Helton and his staff brought in 10 signees in mid-December.

It took five previously uncommitted players signing with the Trojans to raise their total.

The wave of new pledges began in the morning when Briton Allen, a safety from IMG Academy in Florida, switched his commitment from Georgia Tech, then Dejon Benton, a defensive lineman from Oakland who had been committed to Washington State, flipped as well.

In a pair of afternoon announcements, Ralen Goforth, a linebacker from St. John Bosco, and Drake Jackson, a defensive end-hybrid outside linebacker from Centennial, committed to the Trojans. Both were weighing offers from other Pac-12 schools. Goforth is the younger brother of former UCLA safety Randall Goforth.

Helton pointed to Jackson as an important addition, giving them a stand-up pass rusher to help replace departed senior Porter Gustin.

“He’s going to be a force to be reckoned with,” Helton said.

Defensive lineman Nick Figueroa, a junior-college transfer from Riverside City College, was Wednesday’s fifth new commit.

By day’s end, the Trojans had put together a recruiting class that was ranked No. 21 in the nation by the composite rankings used by 247Sports, a rise of seven spots in an aim to overcome an inauspicious start. In the modern recruiting rankings era, they have never finished with a class outside the top-20 and have not been outside the top-10 since 2013.

Helton stressed the Trojans were poised to bring in more players in two months during the traditional national signing date, seen as their chance to bolster the group and its ranking. They can sign at least 26 recruits this offseason, and added eight signees in February in last year’s cycle.

“You have to make a determination at this point in time,” Helton said. “Are you just going to sign kids to sign kids? Or are you going to leave those open spots for those guys that are pretty talented out there? We all know who’s out there and there are some pretty big-name guys.”

The Trojans could add two of the more touted local recruits in January with Orange Lutheran wide receiver Kyle Ford and Mater Dei wide receiver Bru McCoy. Both will announce their commitments at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 5, as Amon-Ra St. Brown did a year ago.

Sixteen of the schools ranked ahead of USC had more commitments.

Unlike last December, when they were the defending Pac-12 champions, the Trojans will be challenged to finish with a top-10 class following a 5-7 season, a finish that invited questions and continued speculation about Helton’s job security.

Helton, though, remarked that the hiring of former Texas Tech Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator provided a jolt of excitement that aided their recruiting efforts.

“You’re talking about one of the more brilliant offensive minds there is in the country,” Helton said. “For him to be a USC Trojan, it was great to be able to walk Coach Kingsbury into homes. His personality with kids is dynamic. He does a wonderful job. He’s one of the reasons we’re going to have a lot of success, not only right now, but down the stretch in this recruiting class. He does a wonderful job 1-on-1 with kids.”

Recruits and their families also “see the big picture,” Helton said, noting the conference title and a Rose Bowl win earlier in his coaching tenure.

Nine of the 18 early signees will enroll early and participate in spring practice.

Two of USC’s commits did not sign letters of intent Wednesday: Puka Nacua, a wide receiver from Orem, Utah, and Jordan Wilmore, a running back from Lawndale. In a post on Twitter earlier this week, Wilmore said he would not sign this week. Recruits can also sign with schools on Thursday and Friday.

Helton said there was no particular position of emphasis before February, noting it was “all of them,” but the Trojans could use help in their secondary with only four returning scholarship cornerbacks.

They signed two cornerbacks with Serra’s Max Williams and Trey Davis, who is from Federal Way, Wash.

There remained a need for another strong finish, as Helton often acknowledged during his news conference Wednesday.

“It’s not over until February,” Helton said. “This is the halfway point.”

SIGNED TROJANS

Briton Allen, S, Orlando, Fla./IMG Academy

Dejon Benton, DL, Oakland/Pittsburg High

Kenan Christon, RB, San Diego/Madison High

Trey Davis, CB, Federal Way/Federal Way High

Nick Figueroa, DL, San Bernardino/Riverside CC

Ralen Goforth, LB, Long Beach/St. John Bosco High

Drake Jackson, DL/OLB, Corona/Centennial High

Tilini Livai, OL, Torrance/Narbonne High

Drake London, WR, Moorpark/Moorpark High

Munir McClain WR, San Juan Capistrano/JSerra Catholic High

Gino Quinones, OL/DL, Ewa Beach, Hawaii/Saint Louis High

Ethan Rae, TE, Anaheim Hills/Orange Lutheran

Jason Rodriguez, OL, Oak Hills/Oak Hills High

Kedon Slovis, QB, Scottsdale, Ariz./Desert Mountain High

Stanley Ta’ufo’ou, LB, Simi Valley/Grace Brethren High

Maninoa Tufono, LB, Halawa, Hawaii/Punahou High

Max Williams, CB, Carson/Serra High

Jude Wolfe, TE, Laguna Hills/St. John Bosco High

CINCINNATI – UCLA hadn’t been beaten so soundly in nearly four years. That’s how good the Bearcats’ defense was, right from the start.

Jarron Cumberland scored 19 of his 25 points during Cincinnati’s dominant first half, and the Bearcats dominated every phase in a 93-64 rout of the Bruins on Wednesday night.

As usual, this Cincinnati win started with relentless defense.

“A lot of people are surprised by our toughness because our defense is something special,” said Nysier Brooks, who had 14 points. “Nobody knows what it is, but it’s something special.”

Cincinnati (10-2) pulled ahead by 20 in the first half and was never challenged as the Bearcats beat the Bruins (7-4) by double-digits for the second straight season. Keith Williams added a career-high 19 points for Cincinnati, which shot 52.4 percent from the field.

“In fairness, when you shoot the ball like that at home, you’re going to win,” coach Mick Cronin said. “Combined with great defense, you’re going to win easy.”

The Bruins were coming off a 74-72 home loss to Belmont, blowing 12-point lead in the second half. They couldn’t keep up with Cincinnati, which took control with a 23-4 run in the first half and sent UCLA to its most lopsided loss since a 71-39 defeat at Utah on Jan. 4, 2015.

“Tonight, from about eight minutes into the game, defensively we were really poor,” coach Steve Alford said.

Kris Wilkes led the Bruins with 21 points in the first of back-to-back games against Ohio teams. They play Ohio State on Saturday, their final chance for a noteworthy win before getting into Pac-12 play.

“This is a huge road trip for us because we are trying to build a resume, trying to build energy and momentum going into conference play,” Alford said.

Cincinnati was coming off a 70-59 loss at No. 18 Mississippi State that ended the Bearcats’ nine-game winning streak. Their offense was a problem at the end, freezing up with the game on the line. The Bearcats got all the shots they wanted against UCLA, making a season-high 12 from beyond the arc to go with 30 points in the paint.

Brooks had a three-point play and a pair of layups during the 23-4 run that put Cincinnati in control. The Bruins managed only four free throws during the span.

UCLA repeatedly allowed backdoor layups on Saturday as Belmont overcame the 12-point deficit to pull out the win. Tightening the front-line defense was their priority, and they didn’t do very well as Cincinnati got every type of open shot.

The Bearcats’ biggest challenge was matching up to UCLA’s imposing front line. The Bruins rank No. 5 nationally in rebounding with 44.7 per game, and the Bearcats pride themselves on controlling the boards. Cincinnati got the better of it 38-25.

A Chino Hills resident was arrested on suspicion of murder Wednesday, Dec. 19, after authorities say he pulled a man out of a car in which the suspect’s girlfriend was sitting and beat the man to death.

Ivan Mejia, 44, is being held without bail at West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. No motive for the attack was disclosed.

About 1:15 a.m. Wednesday, a woman with blood on her clothing ran into a hotel in the 15400 block of Fairfield Ranch Road in Chino Hills yelling for help, a San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department news release said. Deputies arrived to find a man in the parking lot suffering from injuries to his head. The man, identified as 54-year-old Chino HIlls resident Martin Zendejas, was taken to a hospital, where he died.

Detectives found Mejia as he was leaving his home and arrested him.

The Sheriff’s Department asks that anyone with information on the case call Detective Chuck Phillips at 909-387-3589 or leave tips anonymously with WeTip at 800-782-7463 or its website at wetip.com.