Edgar Melik-Stepanyan
PASADENA -- The first step to becoming a good basketball team is
developing fundamentals.
That means tireless hours of conditioning, practicing rebounding,
dribbling and breaking down a defense.
Now, only if the Village Christian High boys' basketball team could
prefect these fundamentals will it achieve great success.
Until that point, the Crusaders will continue to struggle like they
did against Los Angeles Marshall High Wednesday at La Salle.
Village Christian dropped to the Barristers, 45-37, in a first-round
game of the La Salle/Temple City Holiday Classic.
"This [performance] is near the bottom," said Crusader Coach Patrick
Hamblin, whose squad dropped their fifth straight. "I thought the key
would be defensive rebounding and we didn't do it most of the game. We
couldn't get the ball in against a man-to-man press. It is just a matter
of fundamentals. That is what killed us."
Village Christian (2-9) will play Alhambra High at 3 p.m. today at La
Salle High.
L.A. Marshall (5-5) forward, Osiris Bashir, was nearly uncontrollable.
The 6-foot-4 senior had a team-high 20 points. None were more crucial
than his final four points.
With Village Christian trailing by just three with less than two
minutes remaining, Bashir scored a layup and sank two free throws in the
final two minutes, sealing the win for his squad.
The Barristers will play La Canada High at 6 p.m. today at La Salle
High.
"I am extremely disappointed," Hamblin added. "This is a game we
should have won."
Crusader guard Daryl Ellis had a team-high 12 points.
BOX SCORE
Village Christian 9 12 8 8 -- 37
L.A. Marshall 7 12 12 14 -- 45
Village Christian -- Ellis 12, Barrett 9, Whitten 8, Hall 4, Briggs 2,
Benko 2.
Three-pointers: Barrett 3, Whitten 2.
L.A. Marshall -- Bashir 20, Vasquez 9, Quinones 5, Beltran 4, Dayrit
3, Bacosa 2, Young 2.
Three-pointers: Quinones.
