LJ b BB 64, UC 53

Viking players have a grin during pregame introductions.
(Photo by Ed Piper)
 

By Ed Piper

On a night on which the temperature outside dropped to 48 degrees by game's end, La Jolla heated up the University City gym by continuing its torrid pace of basketball, winning its fifth game in six tries as host UC fell, 64-53, Tues., Dec. 12.

Evincing a new level of confidence gained by taking home the Hilltop Invitational championship trophy four nights earlier, the Vikings turned the tables after trailing the Centurions most of the first half.

They outscored UC 15-2 during a five-minute stretch late in the second quarter, and took a slim one-point lead into halftime.

Then, with Nick Hulquist showing maturation--the 6'4" junior hit a pair of three-pointers in the third period to key La Jolla--the Vikes moved to an 11-point lead that they basically didn't relinquish the rest of the game.

Jacob Ohara and Behzad Hashemi, named MVP and all-tournament, respectively, at Hilltop last week, continued their speed-up play, putting a lot of pressure on a competitive Centurion squad (now 2-4) which included athletic Casey Granfors, an All-CIF wide receiver in football. Ohara led all scorers with 23 points.

Counter to their backcourt fission, Charlie Gal was aggressive in the front court. Gal drove frequently and wasn't hesitant to shoot from range from early on. He delivered 15 points.

And Quinn Rawdin, getting more comfortable, sank some three's--one to start the fourth quarter, another to bookend it near the end of the final period--supplying additional firepower to the Vikings' talented lineup. Both he and Hashemi contributed nine points apiece.

But it was Hulquist's go-for-broke drives that showed aggressiveness with style that brought even La Jolla coach Paul Baranowski out of his seat. "Finish the shot. Don't just throw it up there," called out Hulquist's coach after an explosive drive to the basket midway through the fourth quarter, the Vikings leading 56-46. Though not connecting on the layup, the tall guard sank one of two free throws for a 10-point lead.

La Jolla, taking a brief respite before returning to tournament play Fri., Dec. 15, in the Grossmont tourney, held on behind Rawdin's shooting, clutch free throws by Gal and Ohara, and the blossoming Hulquist's moves to the basket to secure the 11-point victory. Hulquist finished with 12 points.