By Ed Piper
La Jolla coach Paul Baranowski is licking his chops. Carson Diehl, a leaping big man, is finally healed up from his ankle problems coming over from football, as evidenced by his play Fri., Dec. 20.
Diehl, combined with fellow big Lance Braga, complement the already-explosive backcourt pair of Brody Sessa and Leo Hawkinson, who have lit the Vikings' fuse of fast-moving, breakneck play that results in flurries of quick baskets.
Baranowski unleashed this foursome on visiting High Tech San Diego in a final non-league game before the winter break, and it was awesome.
La Jolla, now 12-2 following a two-losses-in-two-days interruption after 10 wins in a row, over-quicked and overpowered a defenseless Storm contingent, 82-56.
The Vikes, with Diehl now oriented, grabbing rebounds and receiving passes for easy baskets underneath, went on a run from leading 10-9, to 26-14 the latter part of the first quarter. La Jolla led 42-28 at the half with Diehl's tip-in before the buzzer.
The pile-on took on jet speed opening the third period. Within minutes, Sessa and Hawkinson and crew built a 32-point lead, Brody on a full-court dribble down the left side to outrace his defender for a backhand layup. Meanwhile, the blur-in-motion Leo popped a trio of threes, all the time harrying and harassing ballhandlers to create confusion in the midcourt.
By the fourth quarter, Baranowski went to a pre-Christmas celebration of all-hands-on-deck, with everyone but new Sage Creek transfer Cole Hein getting into the act. (He sat at the scorer's table, not dressed out.)
Asked about his team's high tempo, Sessa said, "I think it's just the way we talk at halftime." Told the team is fun to watch, he acknowledged the "magic" he and Hawkinson are spinning in the backcourt, firing up the entire lineup with their energy.
Regarding his Euro step move, Brody said, "I learned it on You Tube."
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