By Ed Piper
Crawford was celebrating Senior Night, though it was a muted celebration since four Colts have been declared ineligible to play because of the latest grading period.
So the outlook for La Jolla, coming in, was looking favorable, on the heels of a 73-52 win at home Jan. 9 against Coach Ed Baskin's squad.
Big Jalen Jones, 6'3", was one of the two seniors remaining. Though he spent a lot of time on the bench in foul trouble, he and his teammates gave the visiting Vikings a tough time for much of the first three quarters before a smallish crowd in the tiny Crawford gym Tues., Jan. 30.
They led Michael Contreras, Eli Vaz and company 14-13 with three minutes gone in the second quarter.
Then, as the cream rises to the top, Coach Paul Baranowski's contingent (now 4-2 in the Central League, 16-9 overall)--tied 30-all with five minutes left in the third--went on a 26-1 tear into the early fourth period to land a 67-44 win.
The usual suspects were guilty, including "Contre", hesitating in the air on one drive before scoring with the right hand (as a natural lefthander), Jackson Diehl, hitting free throws with new efficiency while rebounding well, and speed-demon Nick Sebro grabbing some loose balls.
A refreshing look for this game was 6'5" Lance Braga skying to guide Diehl's close-in shot from the other side of the rim into the basket. That occurred with 6:07 left in the third stanza, the Vikings barely leading, 27-25.
Braga, a junior, also had an authoritative block to finish one period, the home crowd "oohing" at the sight.
Diehl was six for seven at the line, totaling 16 points. Michael led with 17 points.
With fewer than half the league rotation yet to play, Canyon Hills and Point Loma lead the Central League with 4-1 records (though the Pointers suffered a major injury to a key player). The Vikes stand just behind them at 4-2.
Clairemont sits back at 2-4, the Colts on the bottom.
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