Compton Centennial’s victory cruise ends on Route 66

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I asked him a simple question: ‘How do you feel?’

His response: ‘Do I really have to answer that?’

Chris Francis was in no mood. His Compton-Centennial boys’ basketball team’s league winning steak ended at 66 games after a 73-63 battering by North Torrance Friday night in a Pioneer League contest. ‘I’m not big on excuses,’ he said.

But there was one excuse -- a legitimate one. The team’s leading scorer, Marc Pajaud (13.9 points) could not play because of an ankle sprain. ‘His ankle was the size of a softball,’ Francis said.

There was one other excuse too -- North Torrance (8-10, 1-1) was just superb. ‘They really swung the ball around,’ Francis said. ‘They had us chasing around one basketball like there were six of them. Their coach took advantage of our inexperience.’

And so the streak ended at 66 for Compton-Centennial (10-7, 1-1). Francis would say it’s time to start another.

- Anthony Stitt

- Image from www.flagstaff.az.gov