SoCalHoops High School All-Star News

Battle Of The Valley All-Star Game Results--(May 4, 1999)

We weren't at this game, but Mitch Polin, a writer for the LA Times was in attendance, and we trust his description so much that we're just going to republish it here.  The LA Times (unlike any of the other local papers) did their usual great job and printed a box score for the game, (why no box scores for the WSS game?   Louis or Frank have got to convince the Long Beach P-T and the OC Register to let them write about hoops in the "off-season", at least more than once a week for Frank).  Anyway, here's the report Mitch wrote:

NORTHRIDGE--For Devin Montgomery and Bryson Atkins, the final game of their prep careers couldn't have been sweeter.  Montgomery and Atkins, who transferred from San Fernando to Alemany before the season, led a brilliant second-half comeback by the Southern Section in a 104-94 victory over the City Section Saturday night in the third Battle of the Valley All-Star game at Cal State Northridge.   Montgomery scored 21 points, including 10
in the second half, and Atkins scored all 14 of his points in the second half. 

The Southern Section trailed, 47-36, at intermission before rebounding to build a lead as big as 12 points with 13:28 to play.  Atkins said it felt unusual playing against the City since he had played at San Fernando until this season.  "It felt real good," he said. "But it was different being on the other team." 

Eskias McDaniels of Valencia and Chris Williams of Notre Dame each had 17 points and seven rebounds for the Southern Section.  Sylmar's T.K. Reed led the City with 15 points and Sylmar's Jeremiah Turner and Cleveland's Kent Dennis each added 13 points.  Montgomery was chosen most valuable player for the Southern Section and Sylmar's George Wrighster, who finished with 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, was picked as the City's most valuable player. 

The City took its halftime lead behind Turner, Richard Harrison and Nana Gbewonyo, who each scored nine points.  Gbewonyo also had six rebounds and Cleveland's Brian Smith had six points and five rebounds in the half.   The Southern Section was sparked in the half by Williams with 10 points and five rebounds and Montgomery with 11 points.  Guard Michael Goldman of Calabasas won the slam-dunk contest over guard Eric Bush of Cleveland.

The LA Times also covered the Girls' Game for the Battle of the Valley:

NORTHRIDGE--It was all in a day's work for Damaris Hinojosa of Moorpark High on Saturday night in the third annual Battle of the Valley Senior All-Star basketball game. 

At halftime, Hinojosa won a three-point shooting contest, and in the second half she scored seven of her 13 points to help the Southern Section all-stars hold on for an 85-75 victory over the City Section at Cal State Northridge.   Hinojosa, an All-Southern Section Division II selection who will attend Pepperdine in the fall, also had seven rebounds and a game-high eight assists. 

But The Times' Ventura County player of the year admitted it was a struggle in the first half.  "I just wasn't producing on the offensive end," Hinojosa said. "I think it was the three-point contest that must have done it."  The Southern Section opened up a 19-point lead late in the first half and led, 48-32, at halftime. 

Behind the efforts of North Hollywood's Markia Derby and Tashean Thomas, the City pulled to within four points three times in the final five minutes.  But Hinojosa, selected most valuable player for the Southern Section, scored four points in the final 3:25 and her team held on  The Southern Section was also sparked by Omelogo Udeze of Harvard-Westlake, The Times' Valley player of the year. Udeze scored 16 points and had 11 rebounds. Briana Kentfield of Hart scored 13 points.  

Derby was the game's leading scorer and rebounder with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Thomas, selected most valuable player for the City, had 15 points and seven assists. Cara Blumfield of El Camino Real scored 12 points.  Derby and Thomas each came through with 12 points in the second half, but the City made only 29 of 88 shots (33%) in the game.

 
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