Dorsey Suffers for Role in Fight

Two Dorsey High boys’ basketball players have been suspended for their role in a December scuffle with Gardena Serra players and the Dons have been declared ineligible for the playoffs, City Section assistant commissioner Jeff Halpern said Wednesday.

Reserves Garnett Pickens and Michael Ledwith-Ball were suspended for the remainder of the season and Dorsey, which lost its first Coliseum League game on Wednesday, has been placed on probation for the same span. The players fought during the intersectional game at King-Drew High in Los Angeles that resulted in injuries to players from both teams.

The game was called after the third quarter with Serra leading, 54-45. Dorsey will take a loss in the game, but does not have to forfeit any victories.

No action has been taken against Serra.

The Dons fell, 76-67, to Fremont on Wednesday but still lead the Coliseum League standings at 6-1. Fremont and Crenshaw, which play Feb. 8 for what could be the No. 1 league seeding into the City Section playoffs, are tied for second at 5-2.

Fremont (18-4) handed the Dons the defeat Wednesday by outscoring Dorsey, 23-9, in the third quarter to build a 58-42 lead. Mark Bradford led the Pathfinders with 17 points and Daaron Brown finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds for Fremont, which lost, 75-70, at Dorsey on Jan. 11.

“The difference this time was time management,” said Fremont’s Shelvion Williams, who scored eight points. “We controlled the ball for most of the game. In the second half, we boxed out, we took good shots and we pressed them. We had something to prove to them and we did.”

Drew Gibson led the Dons (14-5) with 19 points. . Donald Wilson had 14 points and Gary Hamilton added 12 for Dorsey. Leading scorer Eric Flournoy was held to two points.

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Staff writer Ben Bolch and correspondent Steve Galluzzo contributed to this story.