LJ b BB 54, Mission Bay 58

The Vikings huddle early in the first quarter, in which
they led by as many as five, 14-9, before yielding
the lead in the second quarter.
(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla brought its second straight forthright effort on its home court, falling to Mission Bay, the number-one ranked team in the county, 58-54, Tues., Jan. 16, in a moral victory of sorts and redemption after a tough experience at St. Augustine Fri., Jan. 12.

The first honest, unscared performance resulted in a 54-47 upset over Cathedral Catholic a week prior. In this one, the Vikings weren't so fortunate, but they came out fighting from the beginning, and seemed to benefit from a moderately-sized student body crowd that was vocal and responsive.

"We have to play four quarters," said La Jolla coach Paul Baranowski after the gym emptied. "We know that." His team managed only two points in the fateful second quarter, allowing 15 to the Bucs, losing a lead and eventually trailing by as many as 14 points in the third quarter.

Much to their credit, they held Buccaneer star Boogie Ellis to 19 points, seven under his average. His Viking counterpart, point guard Behzad Hashemi, took the green light to shoot from afar and bagged four three-pointers and 20 points total.

Hashemi's partner in the backcourt, Jacob Ohara, erupted for four stealth drives in the fourth quarter to help the Vikings make a charge at the end. Swingman Nick Hulquist popped a trio of three's in the closing quarter, including one at the buzzer to make the final score look a little closer than the game actually was.

Mission Bay coach Marshawn Cherry (center bottom)
talks to his team in the opening quarter. Guard
Boogie Ellis sits center left.

"We came out pretty flat," said Ellis, a 6'2" shooter/driver who, with his teammates, played before 40 Division 1 college scouts the day before in an Adidas event in Orange County, according to their coach, Marshawn Cherry. The Buc star said his teammates played together as the game progressed. He acknowledged this being the second year the core four junior starters for Mission Bay have played together pays dividends.

But it was the La Jolla coach, now in his sixth year at the helm of the Vikings after serving as Kamal Assaf's assistant while his son Jake Baranowski played for La Jolla, who had to be thinking of the one that got away. He sounded a bit wistful, though obviously fortified by his team's comeback effort after being beaten soundly in St. Augustine's new arena four days earlier.

Another Buc, left-handed Jaymarree Norton, who led his team in aggressiveness on drives to the basket and who finished with 14 points--right on his season average--said Mission Bay practices the tough, clawing press that yielded multiple turnovers by the Vikings in crunch time.

The pressure, by the county's top team, was a sight to behold. The referees aided and abetted it, though not unfairly, by letting play go and allowing a certain amount of physicality throughout the game.

After trailing 32-18 with five minutes left in the third quarter, the Vikings cut the lead to six at 36-30 late in the quarter. Hashemi sank four straight free throws, two on a technical on Ellis after he reacted to being fouled. Freshman Diego Solis scored on a layup behind the defense. And his older brother, Gabe Solis, sank the first three-pointer of his varsity career as he was fouled on the right base line.

La Jolla closed to within five, 56-51, with 17.6 seconds left in the game, but couldn't erase the gap. Ohara drove for his baskets. Hulquist fired from beyond the arc. Big man Charlie Gal had a nice drive with 41 seconds left to couple with his layup off Baranowski's set offense four minutes earlier.

There are few let-ups in the new Western League, but the Vikings will enjoy one, a bye, Fri., Jan. 19, while other teams in the league are active. La Jolla faces Francis Parker, which has three transfer players, in the "Battle at the Bay" event at Mission Bay High Sat., Jan. 20, at 4:30 p.m.