Four action-packed basketball games, featuring five teams ranked among the Top 10 in the San Diego Section, placed the spotlight clearly on the Elite 8 Showcase on Martin Luther King Day at Point Loma Nazarene University.
Here is a game-by-game summary:
GIRLS
LA COSTA CANYON 59, ACADEMY OF OUR LADY OF PEACE 45—Jumping off to an 11-0 lead, the 5th-ranked Mavericks eventually needed every one of those points as OLP rallied to close to within five points after three quarters before LCC put it away.
Ester Wofford (18 points) drove the basket almost at will and combined with the inside presence of 6-foot-5 junior Savannah Irwin (10 points, 11 rebounds), the Mavericks were able to build back the lead by converting 9 of 10 free throws in the final quarter.
OLP sophomore Kirsten Johnson opened more than a few eyes as she battled Irwin in the post, finishing with 19 points and 14 boards.
BOYS
TORREY PINES 55, BISHOP’S 43—The Falcons, ranked 10th coming into the game, leaned heavily on the all-around play of Garrett Galvin who scored nine points in the first quarter en route to a game-high 22.
After playing even or better for the first four minutes, the Falcons went on a 10-0 run and the closest the Knights could get was four points (27-23) early in the second half.
Sam Worman’s nine points in the third quarter helped Torrey Pines maintain its lead despite the Knights’ attempts to catch up. Dominique Love’s 12 points led Bishop’s, which was hurt with the loss of Dominique Watkins, who sprained his ankle on Saturday.
LINCOLN 55, EASTLAKE 46—This looked like it might be a lopsided contest but the Titans played hard and forced the No. 5 Hornets to earn every one of their baskets.
The Robinson twins, Tyree (19 points) and Tyrell (15 points), led the way with newcomer Corey Whipple tossing in 14 points—eight in the first quarter when the Hornets were forced to match Eastlake point for point en route to a 20-18 advantage.
Lincoln went on the defensive in the second quarter, holding Eastlake to a total of three free throws, and finally managed to shake off the affects of playing in Missouri over the weekend with a big third quarter. Aaron Baltazar kept Eastlake close early and finished with 17 points.
ST. AUGUSTINE 61, ARMY-NAVY ACADEMY 49—Early foul trouble and poor shooting doomed Army-Navy which came into the game ranked sixth in the section as St. Augustine’s Trey Kell and Brynton Lamar had big games.
Kell lived up to his first name in hitting four three-point field goals to pace the Saints, who started the season with 13 straight wins but had stumbled coming into the contest. He finished with 20 points and was complemented well by Lamar (14 points) who scored on inside drives and by center Juan Moreno who was especially strong in the fourth quarter, finishing with 12.
Cheikh N’Diaye, the 7-1 center from Army-Navy, scored 11 points and was credited with 15 boards but had to miss much of the game after collecting two fouls in the first 90 seconds.
ABOUT THE HALL OF CHAMPIONS
The SDHOC is an undisputed national leader in recognition of amateur, collegiate and professional sports excellence; youth sports-based education; and sports memorabilia exhibition. The Hall was launched by the Breitbard Athletic Foundation, which was founded in 1946 to recognize significant athletic achievement in San Diego. Through its vigilant focus on the community of San Diego and its betterment, SDHOC has developed an outstanding sports museum that enhances the quality of life for San Diegans through sports. For more information, please visit www.sdhoc.com.
