Alston is up and running for Twentynine Palms

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Brad Alston is finally getting his legs beneath him. That can only be good news for Twentynine Palms, the defending Southern Section Division IV-A boys’ basketball champions.

Alston, a 6-foot-7 junior post player, moved from from Milton, Fla., earlier this month when his father, a career Marine, was transferred to the base at Twentynine Palms.

‘We just got extremely taller,’’ Coach Larry Bowden said of the addition of Alston to his team.

Alston was uncharacteristically awkward in his first couple games, even tripping over his own feet at times, but found his rhythm Tuesday night in a 72-64 victory over visiting Big Bear, totaling 19 points and 15 rebounds.

The next challenge for Bowden is learning Alston’s name. He has inadvertently been calling him ‘Bob’’ since he arrived on campus.

‘He hears it so much, he started responding,’’ Bowden said.

The Wildcats will make a rare trip out of the Inland Empire on Saturday when they compete at the War on the Floor, a one-day showcase at Taft, Cleveland and Chatsworth high schools. Twentynine Palms is schedule to play La Salle at Chatsworth at 2:30 p.m.

-- Dan Arritt

-- Image from www.growquest.com