By Ed Piper
Canyon Crest guards Ryan Michaels and Tyler Elsom were creating havoc with outside shots against La Jolla in the first half of their first-round CIF Division 2 basketball game Wed., Feb. 24.
While the 6'2" Michaels hit two three-pointers and added a trio of free throws, and the diminutive Elsom, listed generously at 5'9", canned four threes and a pair of two-point goals, the visiting Ravens--seeded 13th to the Vikings' 4th seed--built up a seven-point bulge in the second quarter to lead 33-26. The hosts did come back to forge a narrow 35-33 at the half.
During halftime, La Jolla regrouped. Coach Paul Baranowski said the adjustment was a change in the way Nick Hammel and Eddie Parker guarded the hot Michaels and Elsom, respectively. Instead of going over or under the screen, the Viking defenders were to stay closer to their men.
It worked. With Elsom shut off completely from the floor in the second half, and Michaels limited to three layups with no outside bombs, La Jolla stayed consistent on the offensive end of the floor to build a nine-point lead, 46-37, midway through the third quarter.
The Vikes never led by less than six from there on, securing a 60-49 lead with 1:30 left in the playoff game on a pair of free throws by Parker. They won 66-53 before a polite but appreciative home crowd.
Senior Alex Pitrofsky had a season-high 28 points for the victors to lead all scorers. Earlier he scored 22 in a win over University City. Parker finished with 13 in addition to his defensive work on Elsom.
For the Ravens, Elsom had 17 points, while both Michaels and athletic Daymian Vajda had 16 each.
La Jolla (17-10) enjoys another home game Saturday evening, Feb. 27, in the second round of CIF against Helix, the fifth seed, which defeated Valley Center 61-45. The Highlanders have obviously righted the ship after getting clobbered by the Vikings in the season opener at Petco Park 55-30 on Dec. 1.
"They (Hamel and Parker) were guarding number 5 (the junior Michaels) and number 23 (Elsom, a sophomore)," said a smiling Baranowski afterward of the first half shots. "But they weren't getting up close enough to them. So we had to change the way they were covering them."
La Jolla had known going in that Canyon Crest had some shooters. Forward Charlie Gal, before the game, commented, "We have to close out really well. They have a lot of good shooters."
On the other bench, Raven coach Brian Baum cautioned that his players needed to block out the Vikings. "They're huge," he said. Baranowski was amused. "Not in our league," he said when told of his counterpart's comment.
Canyon Crest's center, Sawyer Lebert, who guarded Pitrofsky, has length at 6'7". He was physical with Alex, though not an offensive threat. But he wasn't successful in slowing down the mobile Pitrofsky, who goes at 6'6".
The Viking center, playing his final year at La Jolla, was a virtual point machine in the first two quarters, with four baskets in each period. He had 19 points at halftime.
Pitrofsky had a putback at 5-4, CCA leading. He took a pass from Hamel on another basket. He followed a miss with another score. Then he tied the game, 10-10, with two minutes left in the opening stanza with a jump shot.
In the second quarter, Reed Farley fed him for a bucket that he was fouled on. He made the free throw, the Vikings trailing 22-21 with 4:57 left in the period. He made another layup, then yet another as Vajda committed his third personal and had to sit out the remaining four minutes of the half.
Vajda, a team co-captain with Michaels, showed some nice moves inside as he carried much of the Raven offense in the second half with the guards stifled. The senior drove the baseline on the right side frequently for a trey of baskets in the third quarter, three more in the closing quarter.
Morgan Albers, another Viking senior in his last CIF playoff run, was the most effective he has been in the memory of one reporter. Down the stretch, in the fourth quarter, he made three crucial baskets.
Opening the period, with Canyon Crest knocking on the door, trailing only 48-42, Albers put a ball in for an eight-point lead.
Then, after Vajda drove to score his third straight basket for the Ravens, Albers turned his back to the hoop and made his signature left-handed move to bank the ball off the glass and put his team up, 58-48. There was 3:38 on the clock.
In between, the 6'4" Morgan persisted after having a shot blocked by Canyon's M.J. Metz to gather the ball up and put it in.
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