The first week of Ocean league basketball action produced mixed emotions for the boys and girls basketball teams. Last Wednesday both teams beat El Segundo at home but last Friday both Culver City teams were beaten by Lawndale on the road.
For the girls, it was their first loss to Lawndale in over seven years according to Lawndale coach Anthony Gibson who was still smiling two hours after the game. “I think our defensive intensity kind of wore down Culver City,” said Gibson. “Culver City is still a solid team. They are a well-coached team. They come out and play their game. All in all we know when we go to Culver City it’s going to be a battle.”
The girls are 10-6 overall and 1-1 in the Ocean league. They won their first league game last Wednesday against El Segundo 53-42 but they have dropped two games in a row against Lawndale, 45-38 and they were beaten last Monday by Ribet Academy 49-25 in the Serra
High School Martin Luther King Tournament.
The girls played Hawthorne last Wednesday and they battle always tough Santa Monica on Friday at home at 6 p.m. Santa Monica is currently 9-10 overall and 1-1 in the Ocean league. The two top teams in the league are Beverly Hill (13-3 and 2-0) and Lawndale (10-8 and 2-0).
“We need to find our identity as a team,” said Culver City head coach Julian Anderson. “We are a young team that needs to improve every week if we expect to defend our Ocean league title.” Culver City has won the Ocean league championship five years in a row. Their league record the last five years is 49-1 and if you count this year their record is 50-2.
The boys played Hawthorne last Wednesday and they face Santa Monica on Friday at home at 7:30 p.m. The boys are 6-13 overall and 1-1 in the Ocean league. Beverly Hills (9-8 and 1-1) and Santa Monica (11-6 and 2-0) are the top two teams in the league.
Against Lawndale the Centaurs blew a 15 point lead in the second half and the final score was 70-62. “This was the first time this season this team has had to protect a lead on the road,” said head coach Adam Eskridge after the game. “This is a group that has a lot of chemistry, especially the top six or seven players. When we are playing our game we are really fun to watch because the ball is really moving. Our goal is to finish in the top three in the Ocean league.”
When you talk about Centaur players that are fun to watch, 6’2 senior guard/forward Travis Garland Is at the top of the list. He is one of the best three-point shooters in the Ocean league. Against El Segundo last week he made six three-pointers and against Lawndale he scored 15 points. When he was asked how he developed his three point shot, Garland replied, “It came from a lot of long nights shooting with my dad in the back yard.”
