LJ b BB 33, Serra 37

Daniel McColl (center left) and Nick Hammel

(center right) take over co-captain duties for

La Jolla. Viking coach Paul Baranowski

is at far right. (Photo by Ed Piper, Jr.)

By Ed Piper, Jr.

The La Jolla basketball faithful were lifted to the heights--and the brink of victory--then crushed in the closing seconds of another cardiac episode at Serra Tues., Feb. 7

Charlie Gal's layup with two minutes remaining put the Vikings--who led throughout the game until three minutes left in the third quarter--down two points, 35-33.

Running through the offense, La Jolla committed a turnover with 9.4 seconds on the scoreboard, and fouled to prevent an easy layup with the clock running out.

Q's junior Ryan Flowers made both ends of a one-and-one, and Coach Paul Baranowski's traveling nail-biter show came to a close, losing by a final of 37-33.

The Vikings have employed a zone defense the past three games, something they don't usually do. It stymied Serra from the outset to the point where Q coach James Carroll III called a timeout on his team's second possession to try to reset.

The visitors also kept mistakes to a minimum in the early going, not turning the ball over and limiting Serra's athletic players, who prefer a more open style, from attacking in the paint.

In a low-scoring affair, La Jolla still led 23-22 at the end of three quarters. Guard Quinn Rawdin hit a key three to regain the lead at 21-19, the end point of beautiful movement of the ball in the Vikings' set offense.

Nick Hammel, sharing the backcourt burden, nailed a jumper from the left baseline for 23-20.

Flowers and Conquistador teammate Quincy Ferebee were able to make more forays into the lane as the game progressed.

Gal, who had struggled for opportunities, showed new life in the fourth quarter. He scored in the lane for a 25-24 LJHS lead. He made a free throw to tie, 27-27. With 3:53 left, he bulled his way in on the left baseline to score again.

The big forward again made a basket to bring the Vikings within 33-31, down by two, after they had sustained their biggest deficit of the night, four points.

In the closing, chaotic minute, Hammel missed a jump shot. La Jolla grabbed the rebound but forward Daniel McColl was called for traveling with 44.4 left.

Serra turned the ball over at 37.8, called for five seconds on the inbounds following a timeout.

Baranowski then called timeout.

The Viking offense, with guards Francisco Ramos, Rawdin, and Hammel all in the game at the same time, rotated through the offense while looking for cutters inside. Then the fatal turnover at 9.4 came.

Before the night's games, four teams in the Eastern League all had 5-1 or 4-2 records: Patrick Henry on top at 5-1, with La Jolla, Serra, and Scripps Ranch all sitting at 4-2.

Now, with La Jolla dropping to 4-3, Serra moving up to 5-2, only three games remain for each team in the league.