Notebook / Alan Drooz : Two Loyola Players Give Notice They’re Leaving Their Lackluster Days Behind

Loyola Marymount University basketball Coach Paul Westhead would like to give a “Fred Bradford Award” in honor of last season’s senior who shook off three seasons of scant achievement and self-doubt to emerge as a solid player his final year.

Westhead’s candidates this season are backup center-forward Darryl Carter and guard Dennis Vogel.

Both had good games in a 95-70 win against the Hungarian National Team last week, and Carter may have taken the early lead in the unofficial contest.

Getting a chance to start in place of injured center Vic Lazzaretti, the 6-6 Carter was dominant against a taller, more experienced Hungarian line. He finished with 24 points in 24 minutes, hit 12 of 13 shots, including four slam dunks, gathered a team-high 10 rebounds, blocked a shot and freely traded elbows with the physical Europeans. His intimidating play was particularly notable in view of his reputation as a passive player.

It was easily Carter’s finest game in a Loyola uniform.

Vogel, who began to blossom last season under Westhead after floundering as a freshman and sophomore, took advantage of the new three-point circle, hitting three of five from there on the way to 15 points.

The 35th annual Pacific Shores Tournament, the 16-team get-together that opens the high school basketball season the first week of December, will try a new approach to draw better crowds to the opening round: The first eight games will be spaced over two days and will be played at night.

In the past, host schools Redondo and Mira Costa held four openers apiece on opening day, dooming some of the best matchups to oblivion at 3 or 4:30 p.m. This year, there will be 6 and 7:30 p.m. openers at both schools on Dec. 1 and 2. That allows parents and the public a chance to see most of the games.

The best opening match-ups appear to be Inglewood vs. San Pedro, 6 p.m. Dec. 2 at Redondo, and Carson vs. defending champ Culver City, 6 p.m. Dec. 1 at Mira Costa.

This year the tournament seeded only two teams--Rolling Hills and St. Bernard. They are placed at opposite ends of the brackets.

Other Dec. 1 openers are Chadwick vs. Palos Verdes, 6 p.m. at Redondo; Rolling Hills vs. West Torrance, 7:30 at Redondo, and Mira Costa vs. North Torrance, 7:30 at Mira Costa.

Dec. 2 openers include Long Beach Poly vs. El Segundo, 6 p.m. at Mira Costa; Redondo vs. South Torrance, 7:30 at Redondo, and Torrance vs. St. Bernard, 7:30 at Mira Costa.

Second-round games will run all day Dec. 3, with consolation games beginning at 3 p.m. Semifinals will be Dec. 4 at 6:15 and 8 p.m. at Redondo. The championship will be at 8 p.m. Dec. 5 at Redondo, with the third-place game at 6 p.m.

Carin Jennings, the soccer scoring machine out of Palos Verdes High School, recently became the first woman in NCAA history to score 100 goals in a career. The senior at UC Santa Barbara, which reached the quarterfinals in NCAA playoffs, scored 20 goals and 26 assists this season and finished her career with 102 goals and 56 assists for 260 points, an NCAA record.

Jennings, the CIF’s all-time scoring leader--a mark that will be challenged by Torrance’s Shannon Maddock next spring--was a first-team All-American in 1983 and 1985 and a second team choice in 1984. UC Santa Barbara has consistently been in the Top 20 in Jennings’ four-year tenure there.

Jennings was named to the all-Western Region first team this week and was invited to join the national team.

Around the horn: Former Loyola Marymount basketball star Forrest McKenzie, who was recently cut by the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Assn., has signed a contract with the Pensacola Tornados of the Continental Basketball Assn. . . . Idaho State volleyball player Marie Stielow continues to shine. The former Lawndale High and El Camino College player won the Mountain West Conference player of the week award for the second time in three weeks, registering 35 kills and a .526 hitting percentage in two victories. She leads the conference in hitting. . . . Sophomore defensive end Tom Carey of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo was named Western Football Conference defensive player of the week after Cal Poly defeated Sacramento State. The former Rolling Hills High star had 12 tackles (eight unassisted) and two quarterback sacks causing a loss of 18 yards and a safety. Carey is third on the team in tackles. . . . Former Aviation High, USC and NBA star Paul Westphal will make his local coaching debut on Thanksgiving eve, Nov. 26, when he brings his Grand Canyon College team to Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Quotebook: Cal State Dominguez Hills athletic trainer Dennis Phelps says recreational athletes, especially joggers, abuse their knees and continue to run with injuries that should be rested or treated. “Pain is nature’s way of telling you something is wrong. Do not ignore that alarm going off,” he said. “There’s a fine line between biting the bullet and being stupid.”