Guard Jacob Duffy (left) and frontcourt man
Evan Brown after an efficient night
to defeat Point Loma. (Photo by Ed Piper)
By Ed Piper
Point Loma has some behemoths on its varsity basketball team this summer--three who appear to measure 6'6" or taller, with the girth to match.
Yet La Jolla's contingent, with no one taller on the floor than Nick Hulquist, who measures about 6'3", and no one in the front court taller than Evan Brown, who is shy of that at 6'2", held its own and constructed a 19-point lead after three quarters in a Montgomery High summer league game Wednesday evening, June 28.
Coach Paul Baranowski's bunch held on for a 52-41 win, staving off the Pointers even though they looked more confident in the fourth quarter and more in line with the talent that seemed to be on the floor.
La Jolla took a slim 20-16 lead early in the second quarter--running 10-minute quarters are the order of the day in the Montgomery league--and zoomed to a 48-29 advantage at the end of three periods, outscoring Coach Josh Aros's team 28-13 during that stretch.
Viking guard Jacob Ohara, the lone rising senior present, scored two baskets in the second quarter and three around the basket in the third as he contributed the biggest chunk of scoring from his side.
Fellow guard Hulquist hit two three-point bombs from his sweet spot at the extension of the left elbow in the second stanza.
Brown, one of the several rising juniors moving up to the varsity from last year's junior varsity, had two smart plays on defense. In the second quarter, he drew an offensive foul through good body position. Then, the next quarter, he forced a travel. Both defensive plays showed good basketball I.Q.
Rising freshman Diego Solis, a lefty, continued playing alongside the varsity members with confidence, getting a lot of minutes from Baranowski and sinking a three from the right baseline and one from Hulquist's favored spot in the second and third quarters, respectively.
After one of Ohara's fierce drives to the basket, a member of the Point Loma coaching staff called out to Pointer players, "You know he's going to drive when he gets the ball."
A good sign for Ohara was that he continued slashing to the basket despite having two shots blocked.
Jacob Duffy hit both of his free throws in the opening period, then one of two in the second quarter for a solid night from the free throw line of three for four.
Ohara, on a drive in the first quarter, made his way through two defenders to make give the Vikings the lead, 13-10.
On the next score, Jacob followed his own miss to score for a 15-10 lead.
No single player dominated the statistical sheet for La Jolla, as Baranowski used all eight players present and dressed.
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