LJ b BB 50, UC 48

Team scoring leader Christian Gamboa (left)
hams it up while posing with Viking teammates
Max Raulston (center) and James Hanson
before La Jolla's game Jan. 3 on rival UC's home court.
(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Turn the page on the year, change the way you play.

That's what La Jolla did, downing rival University City 50-48 in a major upset Fri., Jan. 3, as the Vikings (5-11) broke out to a 19-point lead in the third quarter, then hung on in a cliffhanger to win in the final 7.6 minutes on Christian Gamboa's two free throws.

La Jolla, despite not having practiced over the winter break except for the day before the game, played smart and limited mistakes.

Diego Solis, coming over from football only three weeks ago, looked that much more comfortable. Max Raulston, at 6'2" providing his usual effective shot-blocking skills inside against 6'7" Centurion Francky Naguidebe, limited his dribbling and got the ball to the Vikings' ball-control experts, Gamboa and Solis.

And Gamboa, who was issued his third personal foul with 3:46 left in the second quarter, did his aggressive dodging-and-weaving to the basket as La Jolla's main offensive weapon throughout the contest.

After Coach Paul Baranowski's squad assembled an astounding 35-16 lead against the seventh-ranked team in Division 2 with six minutes remaining in the third period, University City (10-6), playing physical from the start to wear down the driving and slashing Gamboa, whittled the edge away to tie 48-all with 35 seconds left in the game.

UC head coach Terry Stonebraker, speaking of his team, which came in having won its first six games of the season, before the game, explained, "We're deep. We have so many people moving around, it's hard to cover them."

But senior leaders Luke Minnick and Kasen Dickerson didn't play well until crunch time. Still, against the Centurions' three-quarter-court press, Gamboa and Solis took care of the ball well. Raulston, only a sophomore, made good decisions in being the player in the middle of the court they could outlet the ball to.

The UCHS student rooting section, small but loud
in a corner of their gym, made a lot of noise
in urging their team on.

The UC student group in the corner by their team's basket--not a single LJHS student was visible at the game!--roared when Jalen LeFear scored to bring the hosts to within 39-33 late in the third quarter. The quarter ended 39-35.

Beginning the fourth period, Raulston made the first of two free throws. Solis, showing he's acclimated back to basketball, which he hadn't played since summer league, spun two beautiful charity tosses. Then Gamboa, breaking the UC press, made a spectacular spin move in front of the basket to drop in a layup for a 44-35 lead with six minutes to play.

The two junior guards, Solis and Gamboa, jumped big, burly LeFear as he tried to set up the Centurion offense. Christian streaked to the hoop and scored.

But then Alex Kohlenberg canned a three for the home team, and LeFear dropped in two left-handed free throws, and the margin was a nail-biting 46-44.

Raulston, who was playing with four fouls and who had several spectacular blocks, made a putback of a Solis miss with 1:50 remaining.

A tie-up forced by the harrowing UC press led to a Centurion possession on the alternating arrow at 1:17.

Tall Naguidebe, inconsistent but up around the rim a lot, made a putback at 1:01, at which time UC called its final timeout.

Off the La Jolla inbounds play, Kohlenberg stole the ball and laid it in to tie 48-48 with 35 seconds left.

Baranowski called time out seconds later at 28.7 after the Centurions nearly stole the ball.

The 35-year coach, in his seventh year as head coach at LJHS, had Solis bring the ball up past half court in front of the Viking team bench before calling another timeout with 17.1 left.

Gamboa, dribbling near the far sideline, was fouled with 7.6 on the clock. He calmly made both free throws, and UC failed to put up a viable shot in the final seconds.

The Vikings play non-league games at El Capitan Mon., Jan. 6 and at Mission Hills Wed., Jan. 8, before opening Western League play next Fri., Jan. 10, against a scary Cathedral Catholic team ranked second in San Diego.

But La Jolla, moving into the New Year, looked like a different team from 2019. Solis started at guard against UC, which was a good sign of his successful transition over to the basketball season belatedly after the Vikings' football season taking them to the state championship game Dec. 14.

Having Gamboa and Solis planted, with Raulston a strong contributor in the front court, gives the Vikings a three-man axis that generates a substantial increase in power over the Gamboa-in-the-backcourt-alone model that preceded Diego's arrival.