By Ed Piper
La Jolla's thin basketball team was plundered and pillaged by an aggressive Santa Fe Christian squad, 67-26, Thurs., Nov. 15, with three members of the Vikings' rotation sitting on the bench sans arm slings.
The game was the season opener for both teams, as part of the San Diego Tip-off Tournament at Montgomery High in the South Bay.
La Jolla started well, leading 9-4 in early going on a three from senior guard Behzad Hashemi right off the bat, then a pair of treys by senior Nick Hulquist.
But after a flagrant foul called on a dangerous low-bridge of the Eagles' Trevan Martin, resulting in two free throws, the Vikings made some costly errors for back-to-back Santa Fe baskets and a sudden 17-10 deficit.
Coach Chad Bickley's young squad, graduating 13 seniors from last year's CIF Division 1 champs, never looked back, amassing leads of 26-11, then 34-19 at halftime, to win going away.
Viking coach Paul Baranowski started a whole new trio alongside returning starters Hulquist and Hashemi,sending out freshman Max Raulston, sophomore Christian Gamboa, and returning senior Jacob Duffy.
Gamboa handled Santa Fe Christian's pressure probably among the best, keeping composure though still adjusting to the quick pace of varsity basketball.
Hashemi led the Vikings with 10 points. He was the only La Jolla player in double figures. Hulquist finished with eight points.
For the Eagles, sophomore guard Keatten Smith had 14, sophomore guard Trevan Martin 12, and junior wing Sam Dudley 10.
"Moving the ball well," replied the 6'2" Dudley when asked what he thought his team did well.
Baranowski will have to get more production from Hulquist, who at his best uses his length and agility off the dribble as well as on threes. Hashemi, a streaky shooter, had an off night from behind the arc. Undoubtedly, La Jolla will regroup and try some different things in the next two games of the tournament Friday and Saturday.
The sling-less Vikings on the sidelines were football players Evan Brown, and Gabe and Diego Solis. Brown looks to be closer to returning from a collarbone fracture than the brothers, who sustained their collarbone breaks late in the fall season. The importance of these returners cannot be understated, in view of Thursday's tough result.
La Jolla now walks into a gunfight with tournament host Montgomery in the 3 p.m. game Friday. The Aztecs, sending out no player taller than 6'2", bravely faced the number-five team in the nation, Sierra Canyon, in the feature game Thursday night. The Trailblazers' Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cassius Stanley, ranked the 25th best player in the country, demolished the earnest Aztecs, 96-47.
Coach Ed Martin's Montgomery squad, 23-6 last year, will be looking for vindication against the truncated La Jolla roster.
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