LJ b BB 75, Hilltop 47

Guard Quinn Rawdin before
the Vikings' second win
of the young season.
(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla has now put together streaks to win two of its first three games, the other one late, this streak to open the game, as the Vikings scored the first 11 points against Hilltop Tues., Dec. 5, and moved out to a lead of 16-2 on their way to an eventual 75-47 romp in the Hilltop Invitational.

Coach Paul Baranowski's 2017-18 edition (now 2-1 after three games in the South Bay tournament) had reeled off 17 straight points in the fourth quarter to win going away against Rancho Buena Vista four nights earlier. This time, the Vikings pommeled an overmatched Lancer squad to the tune of a 41-15 advantage midway through the second quarter, then an even more insurmountable 50-19 halftime lead.

What you saw was guard Quinn Rawdin relax a little with the early lead so that he could hit some outside shots after two cold-shooting games. And one could see some of the skills individual Vikings have up their sleeves that they might not display as much in a more-contested game.

It's too bad that Lancer coach Luke Kelley's team, as the host school of the annual tourney, doesn't have much ability. But Hilltop provided the foil for such Viking fine points as a nice spin move to the basket by junior Nick Hulmquist along the left baseline--though he didn't make the shot--and a one-handed feed pass by fellow guard Behzad Hashemi around a defender inside to Jacob Duffy. Duffy got fouled on his resulting shot attempt, and made both free throws.

In addition, big man Charlie Gal showed some further versatility with a left-handed layup, for a new little twist. Hulmquist's and Gal's moves came early in the first quarter, while Hashemi's pocket pass came in the next quarter.

By then, Baranowski was thinking what stages he would bring his substitutes in: Evan Brown and Jacob Duffy were first off the bench in the second period, then Diego Solis and Langston Aron subbed in minutes later. It marked the first game Aron, a junior newcomer, dressed out and played after missing the first two games with an apparent knee injury.

"And the three became two": With Aron playing for the first time in his varsity career, that left the duo of Gabe Solis and Otto Lenz still sidelined, though both are reported by their families to be improving (Solis his back, Lenz a big toe).

Oddly, with the easy win, quick starting guard Jacob Ohara was less than his sharpest. In the first two games of the season, he scored 16 and 14 points, respectively. But on this night, he missed layups that he normally makes. For some reason, he didn't have the opportunity to show all of the quickness multiple people commented on after the initial games.

During the opening 11-0 streak, Gal quickly scored on a layup off the set offense on a pass inside from Hulmquist, after the 6'6" forward easily won the opening tip.

Ohara scored in transition for a 4-0 lead with 40 seconds elapsed.

Gal hit a three. 7-0.

Rawdin made the first of his five steals on the night and took the ball down to score. 9-0.

Kelley, watching his team rapidly getting blown out, called time out.

After Hashemi's turnover on a bad pass to Ohara, Hulmquist spun with his move to the basket, though failing to finish.

Hashemi then atoned with a steal and layup. 11-0.

Hilltop finally scored with 5:22 left in the first quarter. But then Rawdin smoothly sank his first three-pointer for 14-2. He followed that with a steal and a layup of his own, 16-2.

After a three by the Lancers' Justin Wilson, Gal made his drive from the right side of the basket and put the ball in with his off hand. His and-one free throw made it a 19-5 spread, and La Jolla continued from there.

The lead peaked at 36 points, 67-31, early in the fourth quarter. The closest Hilltop got after that was 26 points, on a jumper by junior Atticus Acosta, just before the final winning margin of 28.

The Vikings play again in the Hilltop Invitational Wed., Dec. 6, against Eastlake at 7:30 p.m.