Forward Charlie Gal clears one of his
rebounds against the Hornets.
(Photos by Ed Piper)
By Ed Piper
La Jolla basketball coach Paul Baranowski found a combination in his front court that he just couldn't break up: In the third quarter against Lincoln Fri., Jan. 15, junior Daniel McColl and sophomore Charlie Gal, both who play a physical game, were repeatedly producing.
Normally, Baranowski rotates the two, since they play the same position and employ similar banging styles near the basket. Center Alex Pitrofsky plays alongside the 6'2" McColl or the 6'5" Gal.
But through the second half of the quarter, with the Vikings maintaining a slim lead, the Irish-Hungarian connection was clicking. McColl scored, La Jolla up 30-24. A short time later, McColl scored on a putback, 34-27. In the process, he drew Hornet captain Moji Mojus's fourth personal foul, even though he missed the free throw.
Meanwhile, Gal was rebounding with authority on the defensive end. As if to punctuate the quarter, the solid-built Charlie scored inside with 20 seconds left, giving La Jolla a nine-point lead, which would shortly balloon to 14. The Vikings held on to defeat the visiting Hornets, 60-53.
It was La Jolla's first Western League win after two losses. The game was played to the accompaniment of the large LJHS school band, led by band instructor Michael Fiedler, with musicians dressed in their new uniforms for the first time at a basketball game in decades.
Junior Daniel McColl arches backwards
to put up a shot on the right side of
the basket.
Earlier in the week, at team practice Wednesday, Gal had talked about his and his teammate's physical style of play. It was heartening to see the two play effectively Friday, because both had experienced hills and valleys this season: Gal, only a sophomore, beginning the season as a starter, then being demoted, and McColl, seemingly dealing with the transition from football season, with a flu bug thrown in.
In a true team effort, La Jolla (10-4 overall) came out with new energy and effect in the third quarter after a first half in which both teams combined to score only 40 points, the Vikings on top, 22-18, and being separated by no more than six points.
Symbolic of the excitement to come, before a good-sized crowd for the first girls varsity/boys varsity Friday night doubleheader of the league season, the 6'6" Pitrofsky went high to deny Hornet Raquan Everett's soaring drive.
Reed Farley, well-tuned, hit a turnaround jumper. After a Lincoln jumper, Farley found Pitrofsky on sonar for a basket and a 26-20 advantage. The sophomore Everett, one of Lincoln's few players 6'4" or taller, was stopped again. Malik Parsons of Lincoln put in a tear drop. But then Farley, settled in, made both free throws after being fouled on a drive with 6:10 remaining the quarter.
Baskets were being swapped in rapid order, though not sloppy. The crowd was voicing its enjoyment at the entertaining pace. Besides new advisor Cindee Russell's Viking cheerleaders--who performed halftime routines at both the girls' and boys' games--present for their first roundball game of the season, Lincoln's 11 vociferous spirit squad members with a foot-stomping beat were helping raise decibel levels.
In a spectacular play emblematic of the period's action, the Hornets' Parsons, giving up quite a few inches to the 6'4" guard Farley, stripped Reed of the ball as he attempted to bring it up court. Falling out of bounds, Parsons leaped in the air and fired the ball at Farley, trying to hit the ball off him out of bounds.
Farley, crouching, partly stopped the low throw, then sprinted after the ball to retrieve it as it rolled to the center of the court. He darted up court and, while looking left, passed to a teammate far ahead on the right. The crowd ate it up with delight. This was just before McColl and Gal began their productive labor.
Baranowski stayed with his core rotation, which is normal as competition begins to move through Western League play toward CIF playoffs in later February. Junior Nick Hammel and senior Eddie Parker shared care of the ball with point-guard Farley.
Pitrofsky schooled the younger Everett with the experience he has gained through the first month and a half of the season. With his 6'9" tutor, LJHS assistant coach Huseyin Demiral, watching from the bench, Alex made life difficult for the shorter Hornet.
Everett scored on a layup in the low-scoring second quarter. But "Pitro" showed him how it was done, driving for a bucket and having a putback sandwiched around the Lincoln basket.
Everett didn't score again until the fourth quarter, with four minutes left and the Vikings surging toward victory.
Before, you had the active Pitrofsky, persistent, always trying. Now, after learning to push Grossmont's Tommy Schroeder physically last month, you see more results with increased confidence. He finishes.
There is an increased pace and intensity to league games over the pre-league season. In addition, interest on the part of student fans is much greater--half of league games are played at home, which is more convenient, while tournament games in December are all played on the road.
But Viking students were pretty placid, even as the band thundered on. The latter has a nice little signature: After home baskets, the band would a play a quick sample taken from a song. Tyson Youngs, who played for La Jolla and is home on break from Holy Cross, commented, "The band is bigger than the one that plays at our games."
Another crowd-pleaser was the high-leaping Farley's slap of a Lincoln shot off the backboard. As it rebounded off the glass, fans oohed and aahed.
Credit is due to La Jolla for its energetic play. Lincoln's squad (0-4 Western League, 9-6 overall) won't make anyone forget their state championship editions of the past.
On Wednesday, Farley had talked about the positive distraction the team's yoga session at the Jewish Community Center Monday afternoon served as. "After a bad first week in league play (losses at Cathedral Catholic and Mission Bay), it was nice to do something different," the articulate junior said. The yoga relaxation acted as a reset.
Now the win over Lincoln can serve as a reset to get ready to host second-ranked St. Augustine Tuesday afternoon.
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