LJ b BB: 'A thing of beauty'

The Vikings' Charlie Gal (seated, center, before
their game in the "Battle at the Bay" at
Mission Bay High), lit up the gym with
23 points in a 65-45 win over Parker.
(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Charlie Gal has always had nice form on his jump shot.

On Saturday evening, Jan. 20, the La Jolla forward was able to show it off as a thing of beauty before college scouts who were in attendance at the "Battle of the Bay" showcase at Mission Bay High.

The stout, 6'6" inside/outside threat rained down five outside shots--three of them from beyond the arc--during the Vikings' 65-45 rout of a humbled Francis Parker team.

Charlie has put up respectable numbers this season, his third playing for varsity coach Paul Baranowski. While averaging 11.9 points a game through La Jolla's first 17 games to lead his squad and teammates Jacob Ohara (at 11.4 points) and Behzad Hashemi (11.1) by a smidgen, the senior is shooting 46 percent from the field on 73 of 160, third on the team.

His number of attempts leads the team, with only Hashemi close (147). From three-point range, which he showed off from against the Lancers, his percentage is 28 percent, which is decent but, of course, a number that he would like to improve.

At the free throw stripe, the burly front court man is sinking 66 percent on 41 of 62. His 62 attempts lead the team, evidence of his bruising inside play that often involves sticking a shoulder into his defender from either box on the side of the paint and plowing his way toward the basket. There is nothing subtle about the big man's play.

"He was just doing it today," said fellow front court player Evan Brown of Gal's 23-point performance. "He was pulling up from almost anywhere (to shoot)."

Commented Brown, a junior who watched Gal play on the varsity for two years from the junior varsity, "It is just nice when we can follow him and (point guard) Behzad guide us to those victories."

Gal, characteristically, was modest and deflected credit to his teammates. "My teammates did a really good job of finding me open to get me the ball, so I just caught it there," he said in the after-game din of the "Battle" event.

Acknowledging his shot "felt really good" coming off his hands, the senior said, about the 65-45 win over Parker, "Honestly, everyone did really well and made their shots. Quinn (Rawdin) and Nick Hulquist knocked down a couple of three's apiece. I hit a couple (actually thre). We just knocked down all our shots. That was really the difference."