By Ed Piper
La Jolla used a combination of its quickness, pressure on defense, and persistence on the offensive boards to harry and harass San Dieguito Academy, 58-39, Tues., Dec. 19, on the second day of the Frank Pekarek Host Lions Classic at Sweetwater High.
The Vikings, gelling more and more now that their four players from the football team have gotten more acclimated, outscored the Mustangs 16-8 in the third quarter and went on to build a 15-point lead, 44-29, on a Jackson Diehl layup at the 5:37 mark of the final stanza.
Coach Paul Baranowski used senior Nick Sebro coming off the bench, and the speedy receiver in football used his quickness to augment starters Brody Sessa and Eli Vaz in making it tougher for SDA ball-handlers to get the ball upcourt and hold onto the ball.
Sebro subbed in for Jaime Guzman with 2:38 left in the third period as La Jolla took a timeout. Michael Contreras took a pass from Vaz and scored with 2:01 left, 33-24, the Vikes' first nine-point lead of the night.
Then Nick scored off a steal with 49 seconds left, giving La Jolla their first 10-point lead of the game. There was no turning back.
Diehl started the fourth quarter after a breather, with Sebro staying in alongside Sessa. The Vikings built their lead to 12 points at 40-28 on a Brody layup from Sebro. Diehl's putback enlarged the black-and-red lead to 46-31.
Meanwhile, Aiden Parente, Diehl, and others made a difference on the boards with their persistence. Parente scored on a putback to end the first half, La Jolla going into the intermission with a 20-18 advantage.
The day before, La Jolla lost a close game to Mater Dei Catholic, 64-58, on the first night of the Sweetwater Tournament. The tourney continues all week.
Frank Pekarek was a Sweetwater alumnus from the Class of 1962 who invested a lot in the school while being president of the Host Lions Club. His wife was a grad, as well as their children. The tournament, called the Host Lions Classic, was renamed in his honor upon his death.
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