DSIV317.htm

SoCal High School & Prep Report

CIF State Playoffs: Northern Region D-IV Final:
Verbum Dei Beats La Jolla Bishop's 67-46--(March 17, 1998)

Verbum Dei will play for their first State title ever after beating The Bishop's School from La Jolla, 67-46 at the Pyramid. Huh? Verbum Dei, the former powerhouse, never in a State Championship game?? That's right. You may have thought they were the state champs, but that would have only been unofficially, as the state playoff system has only been in place in California basketball for the last 10 years. During all those years when Verb won the Southern Section CIF title, 10 in all, there were no state playoffs. So now, in his first season as coach at his alma mater, former UCLA star and Chicago Bull David Greenwood has the Eagles going to the state Division IV final with a 17-game winning streak. Verb jumped out to quick lead, but the Knights struggled back, showing great strength, cutting a 10-point lead at the end of the first quarter to a single point at the half. Marlon Parmer scored 23 points for top-seeded Verbum Dei (22-5), which last week won the Southern Section Division IV-A championship, its 10th Soutnern Section Championship. Nick Booker scored 25 points and had 6 boads for San Diego Section champion Bishop's (25-8), which trailed, 27-26, at halftime. Dalron Johnson , a 6'-9" center score 17 points. Verbum Dei finished the Knights' season and spoiled Bishop 's hopes for a first trip to the state finals with the win.

Mike Hausmann, a 6'-7" junior, contributed 12 points for the Knights (25-8). But it was not enough to stop Verbum Dei (22-5), the once powerful 10-time Southern Section champion, which won its 17th straight game. Verbum Dei broke out to a 17-7 lead in the opening eight minutes, forcing nine Bishop's turnovers in the process. But the Knights quickly figured out the plan, and then outscored Verbum Dei 6-0 to open the second quarter, which brought their deficit to only one point, 27-26, at the half. And as quickly as Bishop's thought it was still in the game, it the feeling of confidence, and the score too, evaporated for Bishop's. Trailing 29-28 with less than two minutes gone in the third quarter, the Knights watched the Verb lead grow to 7 as Robert Watkins of Verbum Dei, who finished with 18 points in the game, hit for two consecutive three-pointers to make it 35-28 in what seemed like the blink of an eye. Any chance of a comeback vanished over the final 1:26 of the third quarter, when Verbum Dei finished the third period and started the second with an 11-0 run; 6-0 in the third, and 5-0 to open the fourth. Hausmann had a game-high 11 rebounds, but also had his hands full with Johnson, who came into the game averaging 20 points and 13 rebounds. Johnson finished with 10 boards.