LJ b BB 58, Hoover 48

Viking guard Quinn Rawdin leans out of bounds

as he loses the ball under backcourt pressure

from Cardinals James Malveaux and Jalnn

Harrington. (Photo by Ed Piper, Jr.)

By Ed Piper, Jr.

La Jolla won its opening Eastern League game over Hoover in a wild, topsy-turvy contest before a huge home crowd Fri., Jan. 6, 58-48.

The Vikings did it on the strength of a third quarter spurt in which they outscored the Cardinals 29-12.

On a night on which Reed Farley was recognized before the game for becoming the third La Jolla player in the history of the program to score 1,000 points, the senior point guard led the charge and provided most of the fireworks during the burst.

With the Vikings trailing 24-21 early in the third quarter, they went on a tear that saw them build a lead of nine points by the end of the period.

Not an artistic masterpiece by any standard, the hotly contested play between the two scrappy teams led to a 50-34 bulge by the home team two and a half minutes into the fourth quarter.

With the score tied 30-30, Farley, the 6-foot-4 point guard, made a trey of free throws after being fouled behind the three-point line with 3:44 to go in the third.

His two-handed slam off a steal by teammate Jacob Ohara--starting in place of veteran Nick Hammel--thrilled the gigantic La Jolla student crowd and put the Vikings in the lead, 39-32.

Then, in the closing period, Farley was a blur of movement. Cutting down the lane to open the quarter, he took a pass to score on a left-handed layup. After Daniel McColl hit one of two free throws, Reed took a spectacular alley oop pass to slam home another dunk. The student section, largely drawn to the game by their team's stellar player, went nuts again.

The slam made the score 48-34, putting La Jolla ahead with six minutes left.

Said assistant coach Huseyin Demiral after the game, "You can put down that I really liked that alley oop," as he took hold of Farley's shoulders to congratulate him with a big smile on his face.

Farley, for his part, said, "It's a lot of fun" to play in front of the home crowd. "Great energy. I think sometimes we get too caught up in it" (though), including himself.

The Vikings benefitted from the four fouls of Hoover star Christopher Modica, whom Hoover coach Wilder Felusme sat down for the entire third quarter after he rang up his fourth foul near the end of the second quarter.

That took away the Cardinals' main offensive threat and producer. When Modica returned in the fourth quarter, it was already too late, his team trailing by double figures.