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| The Vikings watch the end of the Regional Rumble game preceding theirs at Madison High. (Photo by Ed Piper) |
Christian Gamboa happened to the Madison Warhawks Mon., Nov. 25.
Gamboa, the junior point guard for La Jolla, playing without fellow returners Max Raulston and Diego Solis, started along with four newcomers to Coach Paul Baranowski's varsity.
The off-the-dribble specialist, who has honed his main offensive weapon into what can be a sharp edge, used it to cut incisions in opposing coach Mike Stutz's defense--slicing and dicing the Hawks in their own tournament for 31 points.
From the start, when the 6'2" combo guard hit his first three attempt, it looked like this early-season tournament game could be different from the Vikings' effort in their opener two days before.
In that one, the entire team made only one three-pointer, that by sophomore newbie Brennan Ross, in a 10-point loss to Mira Mesa.
Here, in the first minute, Gamboa doubled the squad's trey output of the previous contest, with sidekick Ross, a 5'9" shooter, having just canned his own shot from beyond the arc on La Jolla's first trip down the court. The Vikings led, 6-2.
With the junior producing just shy of half their points, including another three and about a zillion drives to the basket with free throws attached, Baranowski's new edition pulled out a 67-65 comeback win.
The young Vikings are 1-1 on the season.
Actually, the game didn't just reduce down to the stellar guard's individual performance.
For one, Ross, still learning his ropes in taking care of the ball, added 18 points in a solid contribution.
For another, the true storyline saw La Jolla, seemingly sailing along well in the second quarter with a 28-25 lead, then proceed to be outscored by a scrappy tournament host team 23-3 over the next eight minutes, encompassing the end of the second and the first half of the third period.
It was a mini-game within the game, with only freshman Vincent Ricchiuti's three-pointer stemming the profuse bleeding to trail Madison 48-34 with just over four minutes left in the half. It was one of two baskets beyond the arc for the 6'4" Ricchiuti.
The next mini-game immediately followed, as the Vikings put together a streak of 30-12 to come back to gain a temporary lead, 61-60, with just under four minutes left in the game.
During that streak, junior Daniel Dessert scored on a layup. Ricchiuti's other three-bomb came at 54-53, Madison narrowly leading.
Sophomore James Hanson put in a layup for two of his four points and another temporary La Jolla lead, 59-57.
Meanwhile, Madison's Quinten Vella was amassing his 18 hard-earned points, presenting a challenge for La Jolla's ability to get back on defense.
The Vikings didn't have the luxury of 6'2" Raulston's rebounding ability, as he was reportedly out nursing a sore hip. And they can only savor Solis and Luke Brunette, both on the football team, being able to join the roster after Saturday's CIF championship game. Solis will provide the bulk of the ball-handling, along with Gamboa. The two juniors sat with their teammates on the LJHS bench during the game.
The real drama unfolded in the closing minutes. After the Vikings tied the game 60-60 on Ross' free throw, their first lead since the second quarter, Gamboa was tied up on a patented drive down the middle of the paint. The possession arrow, unfortunately, pointed to the Warhawks.
After Vella's three, Christian drove for an incisive layup. Stutz called timeout for Madison. Game tied, 63-63.
Stutz then went off, and apparently threw something, incurring a technical foul, which Ross calmly deposited for the one-point advantage.
Gamboa, with all eyes on him, then scored again. 66-63. This time Baranowski called a timeout. The Vikes lost the ball coming out of the timeout, but Gamboa made a super block on the Warhawks' Dorien Williams.
After the athletic Vella victimized La Jolla again for a 66-65 Madison lead, point guard James Kerzic fell to the floor and traveling was called, thus negating a rebound off Vella's missed free throw.
Madison again called a timeout with 38 seconds left.
Another Warhawk turnover afforded the Vikings an inbounds play. Gamboa was fouled with 20 ticks left. He missed the first end of a one-and-one.
Stutz again used a timeout.
With five seconds on the clock, La Jolla's good defensive pressure forced a bad pass that went off a Madison player out of bounds.
Leading only by one, Baranowski's team had to get through the final seconds. Dessert, playing only his second varsity game, canned the biggest free throw of his life, making the second of two free throws with La Jolla now in the double bonus due to Madison's 10 fouls.
The lead was two. After yet another timeout, the hosts' attempt to move the ball the length of the court for a shot attempt fell short as time expired, and the Vikings took home their first win of the young season, 67-65.
Gamboa, who handled the ball for La Jolla in much or most of crunch time, had his most Cirque de Soleil move on an artful drive from the left baseline. The wiry guard with long reach, against defenders, contorted his body as he launched toward the hoop, his arm outstretched with the ball.
It marked one of the few times the junior wasn't fouled by a harassing Madison defense. The move represented the most dramatic of many forays into the paint, often the 6'2" player ending up sprawled on the floor after the shot.
The Vikings play their final game of the Regional Rumble Wed., Nov. 27, against La Jolla Country Day, at 7:30 p.m. in the Madison gym. They will then take off the long Thanksgiving weekend before returning to classes next week and entrance in the Hilltop tournament a week from Friday, Dec. 6.
At the game, Solis was no longer wearing the sling on his left arm that he wore Saturday. He said his arm was "fine", though a little sore, as he munched on food at the top of the stands before the game.
Nobody wants him hurt, because he missed part of the last season after a football injury. Then, football teammate Evan Brown, also recovering from a fractured collarbone, fell and re-broke his clavicle in the first minute of play. That put a scare in Solis and his older brother Gabe, who both had suffered collarbone breaks as well during the football season.
The Solis brothers, viewing Brown's re-injury, reassessed before being activated for basketball subsequent to that.
Diego Solis will provide offense, along with his ball-handling abilities, when he becomes active.
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