SoCalHoops High School News

Westchester Beat Erie Prep
At McDonald's Classic--(Jan. 17, 1999)

Let's see if we can figure this out:  We got an e-mail from our friend Grant in Pennsylvanica about the McDonald's Classic and while he wrote about a game between Westchester and Erie Prep, the local papers weren't really clear, but here's what we know:

First the recap leading up to last night:  

In the first game of the tournament on Friday, St. Patrick's of Elizabeth, N.J., used a triple-double by 6'-8" senior Samuel Dalembert and a 25-point performance by senior guard Jerome Holman to defeat Westchester of Los Angeles 55-47.  In the Westchester v. St. Patrick, St. Pat's took over when Dalembert,  who had 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 blocked shots, slammed home a dunk for a 27-17 lead with 6:11 left in the first half. But the Comets rallied by hitting four 3-pointers before the half ended to tie the game 33-33. Dalembert then became a demon on defense in the third quarter, at one time blocking three straight Westchester shots underneath. He finished the second half with seven blocks. Westchester managed just 14 points in the second half as the Celtics took away the Comets" offensive game. "Our game is to get the ball inside, create a few scoring opportunities there, and then kick the ball back out," said Comets coach Ed Azzam. "We've been very competitive all year long. Our problem has been a stretch in the third or fourth quarter where we fall asleep and make some mental mistakes. And that's the game," remarked Azzam. Holman, who hit 10 of 17 shots including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc for St. Patrick, was at his best in the first half when he scored 19 points. Jamal Jackson added eight points and seven assists to the Celtics" attack. Lou Wright had three 3-pointers and 13 points to lead Westchester. Eric Wright scored 10 points with eight assists, and Charles Colisimo scored nine points on three long shots.

In the second game on Friday, the Archbishop Carrol Lions played Cathedral Prep on Friday and they held off the Prep Ramblers for a 54-47 victory. On The  Ramblers, who trailed 9-2 at the outset Friday night, went on a 12-3 run sparked by Adam Straub's six points, to take a 14-12 lead early in the second quarter. After the Lions rattled off five points for a 17-14 advantage, David Hairston led Prep on a 9-0 run with five points as the Ramblers grabbed a 23-17 advantage. Carroll's full-court pressure defense rattled the Ramblers at the outset of the third quarter. Forward David Hawkins, who led the Lions with 20 points, capped a 14-4 run with a three-point play for a 35-28 lead midway through the third quarter. A 15-footer by Jim Fetzner and Mark Chase's pullup jumper cut that to 35-32, but an 8-3 finish to the quarter put Carroll back on top 43-35 entering the final period.
The Rambler never got closer than six points in the final eight minutes.  Hawkins had four steals as the Lions forced Prep into 18 turnovers. Kevin Newsome added 10 points and six rebounds and Donnell Young nine points. Straub paced the Ramblers with 16 points, 11 rebounds and three steals in a strong all-around game. Hairston scored 12 points and Fetzner eight points with eight assists.

So, with these results, that meant that the Championship featured Archbishop Carroll, and Carroll's coach Carroll Holmes (really, the coach of "Carroll" is named "Carroll") got the rematch that he was looking for, since  Archbishop Carroll of Washington, D.C. (11-4) and St. Patrick (8-1), currently 15th in the USA Today Super 25 rankings, met previously over the holiday break in December when St. Patrick defeated Archbishop Carroll by more than 20 points in the City of Palms Tournament.   

And the loss by Westchester and by Prep,   meant that the Cathedral Prep Ramblers (5-7) and Westchester (8-7) played in the consolation game on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

Westchester managed to win handily, by 20 points, 65-45.  Here's the recap of the game from our friend Grant:

"Westchester had too much size for Cathedral Prep. The Comets outrebounded Prep 42-19. However, Westchester only led by 5 at half-time, 29-24. The Comets opened the third quarter with more defensive intensity. Erie Prep seemed to tire mid-way through the third period. The Comets kept the pressure on forcing Prep off their game and into taking questionable shots. Westchester coasted through the fourth quarter emptying the bench, and never led by less than a dozen points. Lou Wright played very well again. Eric Knight played more relaxed against Prep's defensive pressure. Knight's ball handling kept the Comets under control. Chris Osborne was a disappointment both nights of the tourney. Osborne played like he was thinking about something else. Also, Osborne couldn't stay out of foul trouble. Terrence Lawson was impressive again. He has nice quickness and a nose for the ball. Total Rebounds: Westchester-42 Prep-19 Terrence Lawson 10 rebs. Scoring: Wright 17 (3 for 3 from three point); Jason Breland 12, and Rowe 8"

Congratulations to Westchester and thanks to our friend Grant for the updates.

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