2 Volunteers Step Forward for Cleveland in 87-59 Win

Bob Braswell was looking for volunteers, someone to step forward, raise a hand, and most important, handle forward Darryl McMillon of Gardena High.

And if offensive production was thrown into the equation, all the better. Braswell, the Cleveland coach, looked around the locker room at halftime Friday night, spotted a few likely heroes and headed back out for the second half with his team holding a surprisingly slim four-point lead.

And of the five players who started the second half for Cleveland, the two most improbable leading men came through as Cleveland pulled away for an 87-59 win over Gardena in a first-round City Section 4-A Division playoff game at Cleveland.

Consider that junior forward Bobby McRae had taken only three shots in the first half, made one, and had three points. Senior guard Tim Bowen, who had scored a whopping two points in the half, was also well down Braswell’s list of leaders.

McRae, a player known more for his defensive play and rebounding, finished with a career-high 20 points--and made all five of his field-goal attempts and both of his free throws in the third quarter.

“I asked somebody to step up and take charge,” Braswell said. “And I thought Bobby would be one of the last guys.”

And Bowen, a 5-foot-10 ball of energy, is more suited for running the Cavaliers’ transition game. Bowen forced a pair of turnovers and converted both of them to score Cleveland’s first two baskets of the second half and spark a 12-4 run that gave Cleveland (21-2) its 18th consecutive win. Bowen finished with 10 points.

“Tim had a couple of great steals to start us on the right track,” Braswell said. “Those two, of all the guys . . .”

Cleveland beat Gardena (11-13) by 53 points in early January, but was unable to slow McMillon, who scored 18 points in the first half Friday. Gardena thwarted Cleveland’s potent press with long outlet passes and full-court inbounds passes and managed to spread the floor so McMillon could go to work.

“They did a great job of opening things up for him inside,” Braswell said. “He was able to drive to the hoop and get a lot of shots, and pick up a lot of fouls.”

Cleveland forward Lucious Harris was, as often as not, the one hammering McMillon when the latter drove inside. Harris, who finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, scored 11 points in the first quarter--and had four slam dunks in the first half--but picked up his third foul with 6:01 to play in the second quarter.

With Harris on the bench to start the second half, it was up to McRae inside, since senior center Warren Harrell (four points) was having an off night.

“We still wanted to go to Warren, but the shots weren’t falling,” McRae said. “I wanted to come out and play the same game, but I just seemed to be getting more shots off.”

McMillon was held to only five points in the second half and finished with a game-high 23. Cleveland scored 31 points in the fourth quarter--with seven from Harris--to pull away.

“They just do too many things,” Gardena Coach Bill Hughes said. “Cleveland, unlike Crenshaw, uses a lot of different defenses. And that’s too many things to adjust to.

“They just concentrated on Darryl in the second half, and you can’t beat Cleveland with one guy.”

And Cleveland, it seems, can beat you with a number of different combinations.