LJ b BB opponent: Coach Marshawn Cherry, Mission Bay

By Ed Piper

Coach Marshawn Cherry, Mission Bay boys basketball
Years as head coach: 2
Team ranking: First in CIF
Record in the Western League: 5-0
Season record: 18-3

Outside the visitors team room, upstairs in the Big Gym at La Jolla High

EP: Are you happy with the haircut? (He was headed to the barber shop when I called to get stats earlier in the day.)

MC: Always (laughing).

EP: What's your overall thought about tonight?

MC: We've got to improve on our team defense and our rotations and taking better shots down the stretch.

EP: Who for your team would you say was on target, locked in a little?

MC: I don't think anyone played well tonight, up to their full capability. They were a little off. It's always a grind at La Jolla. They play tough. (Coach) Paul (Baranowski) does a good job getting them in their stuff. They don't give you anything.

EP: They brought you something tonight. You were the third of three (tough opponents). At Saints (Jan. 12), they got blown out really badly, but they upset Cathedral Catholic (Jan. 9 at home). Could you tell when it started out that way (with the Vikings taking the lead)? Maybe at home...

MC: They're really good at home, like I said. They have a good crowd that gets behind them. They shoot well on their rims, and like I said, they never really let us get in a rhythm...or pulling away, and a couple of calls didn't go our way. We just gotta play through it.

EP: Third quarter, they (La Jolla) couldn't hit a lick. You guys didn't really pull away. Did you notice that?

MC: That's what I told them (his players).

EP: You didn't put them away.

MC: We should of. They were tired, we just couldn't get any momentum down the floor. We missed open shots. We missed free throws. We missed layups. That quarter we just didn't play very well. We had them on the ropes. We just didn't put them away.