You have to respect the way La Jolla High's basketball team is playing.
Although absorbing a 64-45 loss to a multi-tooled Rancho Buena Vista team Tues., Dec. 4, the Vikings continued their gritty, gut-level play of late, and were still in the ballgame into the latter third quarter.
This isn't "moral victory" La Jolla; this feels different in the last four games, the first three being wins.
Maybe this reporter has let home team favoritism addle his judgment, but Behzad Hashemi, Jett Wilson, Christian Gamboa and the rest of the "new" Vikings battled, schemed, and fought back.
When an observer commented to Coach Paul Baranowski prior to Tuesday's final pool-group game in the Hilltop Invitational that his team was playing well "when it counted," the 37-year coach responded, "We're going in the right direction."
Hashemi displayed some of the quickness and flash that led to his being named All-Tournament in the same tourney last year, which La Jolla won. Behzad carried more of the load against the taller Longhorns, and was back in happy zone with some three-pointers.
More importantly, Baranowski's "the few, the chosen"--only three varsity players making up the bench, with freshman Cole Duffy up from the JV's for reinforcements--earned their way into the semifinal of the championship bracket Wednesday evening, Dec. 5, in a 7:30 p.m. game against Westview (8-0).
No one expected that, especially after an 0-3 record after the opening tourney of the season at Montgomery.
Emblematic of the "feel different" Vikes were the 6'2" Gamboa's swift, sure moves to the basket against RBV's press for a pair of baskets midway through the third quarter, the underdog La Jollans fighting to keep the streaking Longhorns from pulling away. The 16-year-old sophomore's second one brought LJHS to within nine, 38-29.
Another signal was Hashemi's steely-eyed focus on three's, hitting one from long range, then another half a minute later as he was obviously "feeling it" with his touch. The latter bomb cut the lead to 42-35 with 3:27 on the clock for the period.
But RBV's pulling away felt inevitable, like the sands of time, with big Noah Fields gearing up for authoritative baskets in the third quarter, and guard Patrick McLaughlin persistent from outside.
The Longhorns' lead, which hit 14 in the second period, increased to 22 down the stretch.
Hashemi led the Vikings with 21 points, including a trio of three-pointers.
McLaughlin also scored 22. Fields added 11, all in the second half.
The Vikings' Max Raulston, a freshman, and Gamboa, both 6'2", did an admirable job against RBV's 6'5" and 6'4" frontcourt men. Giving up two or three inches in length can be significant in basketball. Raulston chipped in eight points, while Gamboa had seven.
And Baranowski's short bench hasn't hurt the team to this point. It has not been uncommon for opposing teams so far this season to have up to 10 players sitting on their bench as reserves.
Jacob Duffy continues to play with spirit. Nick Hulquist hit a three early and was looking for his shot both outside and off the dribble. That's a good sign.
Wilson, playing more of a role in this game, still brought the aggression in his minutes. He and Hashemi, who share bringing the ball upcourt against pressure, both have exceptional quickness.
Sometimes in past years, occasionally there was a feeling that the team just couldn't fight back. But on the heels of three straight wins before Tuesday, capped off by an 11-point comeback Saturday night in the Hilltop tourney over Canyon Crest Academy, this group isn't taking anything lying down.
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