LJ b BB 58, Scripps Ranch 36

Senior Alex Pitrofsky makes a strong move

toward the basket from the wing early in

the runaway win over Scripps Ranch.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla got its motor running and burned out some of the carbon and other sludge that had built up to fine-tune a 58-36 runaway win over Scripps Ranch in boys basketball on Senior Night Fri., Feb. 19.

After a little test run in the second quarter before a good student crowd, with the large Viking band loudly punctuating every home basket with notes from "Star Wars" from the upper level of the gym--running off nine points in a row--La Jolla got down to business in the third quarter to burn the Falcons in the two teams' Western League and regular season finale.

In the period, the Vikings (5-7 in the Western League, 16-10 overall) outscored their visitors 23-13 in a replay of the best LJHS basketball, a combination of pressure defense yielding turnovers and quick, aggressive moves to the basket to score.

Guard Nick Hamel hit two threes and a layup, center Alex Pitrofsky sank three free throws, and fellow senior Eddie Parker got in a groove with his second three of the night as the hosts built up a 42-25 lead by the end of the quarter.

They ran away and hid in the final period by unleashing Pitrofsky for baskets underneath. Point guard Reed Farley celebrated with a three-pointer of his own with six minutes left in the game, as the Vikings surged to a 20-point lead, 47-27.

"I'm glad the win came when it did," said Farley. "We got things going, and it was good timing for playoffs next week."

Earlier in the game, it looked like the Vikings might never hit the right notes. In fact, neither team could score the first four and a half minutes of the game, as La Jolla coach Paul Baranowski started  his five seniors and they fought gamely but got off to a bumpy start.

Reserve guard Bijan Hashemi got a rare chance to direct the offense in the opening minutes. Alongside him in the backcourt was Tony Coan. While struggling to score themselves, the Vikings kept the Falcons' regular starting lineup from scoring until 3:22 left in the first quarter on a layup by freshman Michael Barcia.

Baranowski then inserted Farley, Daniel McColl, and Hamel half a minute later. Fittingly, it was senior Pitrofsky who broke the scoreless spell for the Vikings on a pass from Reed with just over two minutes left. The two connected again for a basket at the buzzer for a 4-4 tie.

Scripps Ranch finishes the Western League 4-8, 14-13 overall.

Cathedral Catholic secured the Western League crown by devastating Lincoln at home, 86-45. The Dons had extra motivation after being upset by Mission Bay by 20 points the week prior.

St. Augustine (10-2) squeaked out a 56-49 win at home over a motivated Mission Bay team to take second place, dropping the Buccaneers (9-3) to third place.

The Vikings, as a result, finish fourth behind the big three. La Jolla wasn't able to win any of their games against the Dons, Saints, or Bucs, dropping all six.