The first of two South Coast Conference rivalries between El Camino and Los Angeles Harbor Colleges was held at ECC last Friday as the Seahawk men rolled over the Warriors 70-47 and El Camino’s women routed Harbor 87-59.
The Seahawk men are enjoying a good start with a 14-4 record and are 3-1 in conference after its easy win over a lesser experience Warrior squad that lost its 10th consecutive game. ECC fell to 2-13 overall and 0-4 in South Coast action.
The first of two South Coast Conference rivalries between El Camino and Los Angeles Harbor Colleges was held at ECC last Friday as the Seahawk men rolled over the Warriors 70-47 and El Camino’s women routed Harbor 87-59.
The Seahawk men are enjoying a good start with a 14-4 record and are 3-1 in conference after its easy win over a lesser experience Warrior squad that lost its 10th consecutive game. ECC fell to 2-13 overall and 0-4 in South Coast action.
El Camino, though, started the game with an 18-15 lead but Harbor took command from there. The Seahawks used a 13-0 run and led 40-26 by halftime.
Harbor would lead by as many as 27 points leaving the Warriors out of hope for an upset.
The Seahawks suited just seven players but were able to roll over El Camino with several talented players, led by Anthony Foster with a game-high 20 points and former Gardena High standout Dushone Brown with 16 points and nine rebounds. Elliot Morris added 13 points and 10 rebounds. Stephen Knox contributed 10 points and eight rebounds, while Brandon Boyd had 11 rebounds and three points.
Harbor dominated the boards by out rebounding the Warriors 47-29.
No ECC player scored in double figures as Julian Dakdouk and Michael Evans shared the team’s high scoring honors with eight points apiece.
Ex-Gardena High player Elmo Smith tallied four points and four rebounds for the Warriors.
The Seahawks are seeking to advance to the playoffs. They are currently ranked 11th in Southern California. They lost one conference game to Long Beach City College 99-80.
Things were reversed in the women’s contest as El Camino, which improved to 11-7 overall and 2-2 in South Coast play, breezed past winless Harbor (0-15, 0-4).
Stontalene Trudeau led the Lady Warriors with 16 points, followed by Nisja Bass with 13 in their balanced team effort.
The Seahawks’ Kiana Angel led all scorers with 28 points.
ECC men’s and women host Pasadena City College on Friday. The Warrior men play at 5 p.m. and their women tip off at 7 p.m.
Next Wednesday, both squads visit East L.A. College with games at the same times.
El Camino visited L.A. Southwest, while Harbor was at Cerritos on Wednesday.
ECC and Harbor face off, again, at Harbor on Feb. 19 with the women beginning at 5 p.m. and the men starting at 7 p.m.
___________
New Millennium starts league well; GHS winless in Marine play
By Joe Snyder
GVN Correspondent
New Millennium is 2-0 in the Ocean League after wins over a pair of Animo Charter High Schools last week.
At Animo-Venice on Jan. 13, New Millennium won 56-50. At Gardena High last Thursday, which New Millennium is currently sharing the campus with, the Warriors crushed Animo Robinson 64-9.
New Millennium had balanced efforts in each of its games. Against Robinson, the Warriors were led by Jefferson Roberts with 16 points. Julian Walker added 11 points. Anthony McClain contributed eight assists, five steals and four points. All 14 players scored for New Millennium.
Against Animo Venice, the Warriors, who are 5-9 overall, were led by Walker with 18 points. Justin Coats chipped in 13 points and Roberts had 10 points. Michael Okoacha grabbed seven rebounds. McClain recorded five points, four rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Ken Stewart pulled down six rebounds.
New Millennium will host New Designs from Downtown Los Angeles at Gardena Friday at 5:30 p.m. The Warriors visit Frederick Douglas Academy at the Exposition Park Gym next Tuesday before returning home to face Animo Venice on Wednesday. Both of these games are also at 5:30 p.m.
Gardena played one Marine League game at King-Drew Medical Magnet on Jan. 15 in Southeast L.A. but fell on the short end of a 53-47 score to fall to 0-4 in league and 3-14 overall.
The Panthers hosted Narbonne, which is tied with Washington for the Marine lead at 4-0, on Wednesday and will travel to San Pedro for a 7 p.m. Marine contest Friday at 7 p.m. Gardena, then, visits Banning in Wilmington next Wednesday at the same time.
Gardena already lost to the Gauchos and Pirates in the San Pedro Pirate Shootout that was held between Christmas and New Year’s Days.
_________
Serra’s home opener is a special and winning one
By Joe Snyder
GVN Correspondent
Serra High’s boys’ basketball team was on the road throughout its preseason schedule that included trips to tournaments in Westchester, Beverly Hills and Modesto, as well as playing a non-league doubleheader in Phoenix, Ariz.
The Cavaliers finally arrived home last Friday to begin their Del Rey League play against La Salle High from Pasadena in front of a crowd that included their first California state Division IV championship squad from the 1992-93 season. Also honored was Serra head coach Dwan Hurt who picked up his 500th coaching win when the Cavaliers topped Freedom High from Oakley on Dec. 27 in the championship quarterfinals of the Modesto Christian Tournament. Hurt head coached Serra since 1989.
Serra’s 2013-14 edition of its hoop program put on a show in downing the Lancers 89-63.
Keying the Cavaliers, who improved to 12-6 overall and 1-0 in league, was Travion Dawson with 19 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. Ron Freeman added 18 points, five rebounds and three blocks. Lafayette Dorsey chipped in 13 points. Kristopher Martin contributed 11 points and Shamar Bailey had eight points and eight rebounds.
In a Lancers Hoops Showdown game at La Salle High, Serra won a key non-league game over Cantwell-Sacred Heart from Montebello 55-52.
The game was close throughout but key free throws by Freeman and Jason Richardson sealed the game for the Cavaliers.
Those wins set the stage for Serra’s league showdown at rival Bishop Montgomery in Torrance on Wednesday. This was a contest between the top two teams in the CIF-Southern Section Division IVAA as the Knights, who are 17-1 overall and 2-0 in league, are No. 1 and the Cavaliers are second. Both are also on the Southern Section Open Division watch list.
The Cavaliers, then, host St. Bernard from Playa del Rey Friday at 5 p.m. before facing CIF-Los Angeles City Section power Fairfax in the Fairfax State Preview Classic on Saturday at the same time.
Serra returns to Del Rey action at home against La Puente Bishop Amat next Wednesday at 7 p.m.
___________
St. Bernard transfers take it to former team
By Joe Snyder
GVN Correspondent
Serra High’s girls’ basketball team began the Del Rey League at St. Bernard High in Playa del Rey on Jan. 14 as Chyanne Butler and Cydney Bolten returned to that old school they transferred from over last spring.
That came after St. Bernard’s administration dismissed head coach Bo Corona shortly after the two keyed the Lady Vikings to the CIF-Southern Section Division IVAA semifinals and the finals of the Southern California Regional Division IV playoffs where they fell to eventual state champion Serra 63-54 back on March 16 at Colony High in Ontario.
Those two moved on to rival Serra, while a pair of others transferred to other schools.
This time, the Cavaliers outmatched the lesser experience St. Beranrd team 74-41.
Butler led Serra’s balanced scoring with 19 points and, one time, scored 10 straight points.
Bolton had only four points but hit a three-point basket early in the first quarter.
Cailey Hailey added 18 points for the Cavaliers, who are 14-2 overall and 1-0 in league.
Demaria White led the Vikings with 17 points.
That only tuned up Serra for a key non-league game in the War on the Floor Extravaganza against Westlake Village Oaks Christian at St. Genevieve High in Panorama City.
In that game, Serra head coach McKenzie Hadley benched key starters Hailey, Bolton and Nautica Morrow.
It resulted into 12 first quarter turnovers and a 15-7 Oaks Christian lead.
When they returned in the second period, the Lady Cavaliers pulled ahead and went on to defeat the Lions 51-40.
Hadley benched the three key players due to an effort to enhance overall work effort and accountability.
In the second quarter, Serra turned things up with a 12-0 run for a 26-23 halftime lead.
The Cavaliers were led by Butler with a game-high 25 points. In three quarters of play, Hailey tallied nine points, five rebounds, four assists and seven steals. Bolton totaled seven points and Morrow recorded five rebounds and four assists.
Serra comes home to face La Salle of Pasadena tonight at 7 p.m. before what could be a league showdown at Bishop Montgomery in Torrance next Tuesday at 7 p.m.
The Cavaliers are the top ranked squad in the Southern Section Division IVAA and, if they keep their winning ways, they will be expected to play in the prestigious Open Division when the Southern Section playoffs start next month.
