LJ b BB 62, West Hills 50

Nick Hammel shows nice form

on a jump shot in the first

half. (Photo by Ed Piper, Jr.) 

By Ed Piper, Jr.

"I'm thinking we're good in the second quarter," said swingman Nick Hammel of La Jolla's 17-2 spurt during the period that made the difference in a 62-50 nonleague win at home over West Hills Thurs., Dec. 15.

Hammel looked more fluid than in previous games. He acknowledged he went through a transition from football.

"I felt like I wasn't being aggressive enough in previous games," said the 6-2 senior. "I just tried to go to the hoop more."

Hammel was just named First Team All-City League in football, so he was rewarded for a stellar season on the gridiron.

But he paid a price, as has Daniel McColl, his teammate and fellow starter in both sports, in the length of time it takes to overcome missing preseason tournaments and conditioning.

Actually, Hammel got off to an inauspicious start against the blue-and-black Wolfpack, throwing up an airball on La Jolla's first time down the court after leaper Reed Farley once again won the opening tip.

But then Nick hit the Vikings' first basket, though they trailed in early going, 4-2. He sank another shot, La Jolla trailing 13-9. A jumper then put his team in the lead for the first time on the night, 14-13. After a 16-15 advantage ending the first quarter, the red and black never trailed again.

In the 17-2 spurt in the second stanza, Hammel drove to the basket, and though he missed the shot, a reporter jotted in his notebook, "Looks aggressive." The senior then committed a foul on the rebound in his frustration at missing, but he was on his way.

Forward Charlie Gal scored on a putback, a 15-foot jumper from the right side, and a layup. Guard Jacob Ohara, making strides, hit a layup on a pass from Farley in transition.

Reed, the 6-4 senior point guard, missed a pair of free throws, a rare occurrence for him, shooting 84 percent from the line. But earlier in the streak, he canned two free throws after he took a rebound and drove the length of the floor to try a dunk and was fouled.

The Vikings closed out scoring in the first half with Daniel McColl's two charity tosses, going into the locker room leading by 10, 33-23.

West Hills was unable to pare the lead to less than eight in the third quarter, at 41-33, nor in the fourth quarter to less than nine, at 49-40.

It was La Jolla's second of only two home games in December in three nights, receiving appreciation from LJHS students on a cold night.