Granada Hills Suffers Costly Lesson, 72-48

Granada Hills High Coach Bob Johnson viewed the championship game of the Chaminade basketball tournament against Manual Arts on Friday night as a learning experience.

Toiler Coach Randolph Simpson said that it was a case of his team finally playing up to its potential.

Most other observers would simply describe Manual Arts’ 72-48 victory as an old-fashioned tail-kicking.

Manual Arts, the defending state champion, did not do anything that surprised the Highlanders (8-2). The Toilers (11-0) stuck to what they do best--play ball-hawking, full-court defense.

Coming at Granada Hills in what seemed like a never-ending wave, Manual Arts forced 20 turnovers and held the Highlanders to a field-goal shooting percentage of 35.3% (18 of 51).

“We knew they were going to press,” Johnson said. “But we couldn’t stop them. There really was no way for us to prepare for a press as quick as theirs. We just don’t have the athletes to simulate it in practice.”

Granada Hills held a 5-4 lead early in the first quarter, but the Toiler defense began to take its toll and tournament most valuable player Charlo Davis began to take charge on offense.

Outscoring Granada Hills, 15-6, in the last 5:36 of the first period, Manual Arts then hit 7 of its first 11 shots in the second quarter to take a 35-16 lead with 3:35 left.

Davis scored 8 of his game-high 19 points in the period and Manual Arts took a 41-21 lead at intermission.

“We just made a lot of dumb mistakes,” said Granada Hills forward Alvin Brown, who scored a team-high 18 points. “Mental mistakes like getting trapped in the corners and stupid stuff like that. I think we were just too nervous for this game.”

The Highlanders appeared to settle down in the second half, narrowing the deficit to 15 points (49-34) with 2:45 remaining in the third quarter, but Manual Arts scored the last 8 points of the period to put the game away.

All-tournament selections Kent Bennett and Marcel Capers added 12 and 11 points for Manual Arts, which lost to Cleveland in the final of last year’s tournament.

Edward Thomas added 11 points for Granada Hills.

Simi Valley 58, Bishop O’Dowd 52--Steve Carnes scored 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter as the Pioneers came from behind to win the fifth-place game. Simi Valley (7-5) trailed, 41-35, going into the final period, but outscored the Dragons, 15-3, in the next 4 1/2 minutes.

Carnes made 2 free throws to give Simi Valley a 45-44 lead before teammate Jeff Marciano (19 points) connected on his fourth 3-point shot.

Bishop O’Dowd (7-4) narrowed the deficit to 52-50 with 28 seconds left, but Carnes, Kenny Hood and Dennis Cook each hit 2 free throws.

Chatsworth 52, Santa Monica 41--Rick Garrick scored 9 of his game-high 21 points in the third quarter as the Chancellors took control of the consolation championship game after halftime.

With the score tied, 27-27, Garrick hit consecutive 3-point shots and added a free throw to give Chatsworth (8-3) a 34-27 lead with 2:16 left in the third period. Cornelius Edwards and Sam Kim added 13 and 12 points, respectively, for Chatsworth.