LJ b BB 63, Tri-City Christian 62 - Grossmont Winter Tournament

Forward Langston Aron (near left) hydrates
while Viking coach Paul Baranowski gives
instructions during the third quarter.
(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla used a formula that has worked to win a few of the Vikings' five wins: get a lead, then hang on like bloody murder and make free throws down the stretch to escape with the victory.

Point guard Behzad Hashemi, the team's sharpshooter, again got the call to the free throw line many times in the final minutes as visiting Tri-City Christian was forced to foul the Vikes' primary ball-handler to stop the clock.

An enormous chess game unfolded before a sparse, late-night crowd (the tournament game didn't start until 8:20 p.m., ending at 9:40), as the opposing coaches, Paul Baranowski and the Eagles' Stan Bickley--owners of a combined 81 years on the sidelines--called seven timeouts in the last 2:12.

Hashemi made five free throws in a row after a miss in the final 48 seconds, and the hosts held on for a narrow 63-62 win over the private school from Vista Thurs., Dec. 13. The game was the second in pool play for both teams in the Grossmont Winter Classic.

Freshman forward Max Raulston, playing in front of his Cal football-playing father, Brad, grew leaps-and-bounds before Viking fans' very eyes during the game. The 6'2" receiver in football put back numerous repeat attempts on the offensive boards.

And the blue-eyed ninth-grader, advancing beyond his years, supplied the free throw with 8.4 seconds left that gave La Jolla a four-point lead, enough to keep the Eagles' Chase Webb from tying the game with his three-point bomb just before the final buzzer.

"Non-negotiable," Baranowski told his team during two of the timeouts in closing seconds. "No fouls. Get the rebound."

The 37-year coach's instructions worked, just barely, because Webb got the three from the right baseline but wasn't fouled with 3.4 showing on the clock. Time ran out before La Jolla had to inbound the ball.

Hashemi finished with 24 points on a trio of three-pointers in the second quarter. Raulston scored 14 in his most confident performance this season. Jacob Duffy added 10, including a key three with 1:26 left.

Webb led all scorers with 27 for the Division 3 school. He had five treys. His brother, Keaton, scored 19.

Tri-City Christian, playing like the game was their NBA Finals, has 200 students in grades 9-12. Enrollment at LJHS is about 1,500.