Inglewood’s Find: There Is a Substitute for Winning

Inglewood High basketball Coach Patrick Roy tried a new substitution pattern for Friday night’s game at Peninsula, and it worked well enough to help the Sentinels move a step closer to their second consecutive Bay League championship.

Roy decided not to start forward Givon Hester because the senior has had a tendency to get in early foul trouble.

Hester entered Friday’s game with one minute remaining in the first quarter, but he was around in the fourth quarter when Inglewood outscored Peninsula, 20-9, to rally for a 63-62 victory.

Hester scored 10 points in the fourth quarter, grabbed four rebounds in the final three minutes and had a steal as Inglewood improved to 13-9 and 5-0 in league play. Peninsula, which lost its league opener at Inglewood, fell to 14-7 and 3-2.

“This is always a real tough game for us,” Roy said. “We just happened to hit some shots at the end, and picked up some momentum, that’s how we won.”

Peninsula Coach John Mihaljevich acknowledged that his team is probably playing for second place.

“With the momentum (Inglewood has) after this game, it is difficult to assume somebody could knock them off,” Mihaljevich said. “I don’t think anybody in this league can beat them twice.”

Inglewood took a 31-22 lead midway through the second quarter before Peninsula went on a 31-10 run that lasted until the third quarter, leaving the Panthers ahead, 53-43.

Forward Matt Acres keyed the run with seven points, three rebounds and a steal. Peninsula limited Inglewood to four-for-11 shooting during that span and forced 10 turnovers.

“They were just setting good picks down low and our kids weren’t able to get through them,” Roy said.

Peninsula maintained the 10-point lead until midway through the fourth quarter when a Hester basket started a 14-3 Inglewood run.

Although the Panthers attempted only three shots in the fourth quarter, they did have opportunities to increase their lead at the free-throw line. But Peninsula made only three of its final nine free throws.

“We did everything we wanted to do down the stretch,” Mihaljevich said. “We got to the foul line. Things went the way we wanted them to in the second half, we just didn’t get the win.”

Peninsula guard Brian Hogentogler attempted a three-point shot with two seconds left and was fouled by Inglewood’s Troy Hudson as the ball went in and out of the basket.

After making his first two free throws, Hogentogler missed the third attempt. Hester batted the rebound out past the free-throw line, where Hogentogler missed a shot at the buzzer.

It appeared that one of the officials had called a foul just before the buzzer, but both officials left the court, leaving the players momentarily confused.

“(The official) blew his whistle and put his fist up in the air,” Mihaljevich said. “The next thing you know he runs off the court with no explanation, then runs back to the timer and says, ‘Game over.’ ”

Carson forward Chris Ramsey scored after taking an offensive rebound with seven seconds left in overtime Friday night to give the Colts a 63-62 victory over rival Banning, extending Carson’s basketball winning streak against the Pilots to five years.

The Colts defeated Banning, 69-45, Dec. 17 in the L.A. Invitational tournament.

Playing before a standing-room-only crowd at Carson, the Colts got off to a quick start Friday, taking a 19-8 lead after the first quarter and extending it to 16 points in the second quarter. But Carson’s sloppy play--it finished with 35 turnovers--allowed Banning back in the game.

“(Banning) played a lot better than they did against us in the first game,” Carson Coach Ade Kido said. “When you get a rival game like this, they come out to try and win. We told our guys to be up.”

Banning outscored Carson, 17-10, in the fourth quarter and sent the game into overtime on a three-point basket by point guard Jason Pickett with 10 seconds left, tying the score, 58-58.

“It has been a long time since Banning has (beaten Carson),” Banning Coach Marc Paez said. “It would be nice to pull one out.”

Ramsey led Carson with 19 points and six rebounds. Anthony Browder had 16 points and three steals.

As usual for a Banning-Carson game, the crowd was active and involved.

“It was hair-raising,” Kido said. “The kids couldn’t hear me when I hollered instructions to them, it was so loud. I couldn’t even talk to kids sitting next to me on the bench at times.”

Carson improved to 12-7 and 2-2 in Southern Pacific Conference play. Banning is 10-9 and 2-2.

The father of North Torrance Coach Bill Atkinson passed away this week and Atkinson missed North’s game Thursday night at Torrance.

His players wore white stripes on their jerseys and dedicated the game to their coach.

“We had (Coach Atkinson) in our minds that night,” North guard Lacy Watkins said.

The Saxons beat Torrance, 74-73, in overtime, as guard Frank Ramirez grabbed a rebound off a missed free throw and made a layup with nine seconds remaining as North improved to 5-1 in Pioneer League play, a game behind first-place South Torrance.

“All during the game, (North players) were saying, ‘Let’s do it for coach, this is for coach,’ ” Torrance guard Michael Dean said.

For the third consecutive season, the San Pedro boys’ soccer team reached the City Section 3-A Division semifinals. But the Pirates were beaten by Monroe, which won on penalty kicks, 4-3, Tuesday.

After regulation time ended in a scoreless tie, Monroe goalkeeper Misael Viramontes stopped two Pirate penalty kicks before scoring one himself on the final kick of the round.

“It was a tough way to end (the season),” San Pedro Coach Martin Mira said. “We thought we had a chance to get to the finals.”

San Pedro, which finished 13-2-1, returns its top goal scorers next season. Juniors Marcos Vargas and Michael Dimassa, and sophomore Ive Gargas each scored 11 goals.