Prep Basketball : Santa Monica Wins Behind Davenport

For the first 10 minutes of Friday night’s Bay League showdown at Santa Monica, Carlton Davenport was like his surname--immobile, passive and taking up space.

But midway through the second quarter and on into the opening minutes of the second half, the 6-0 Davenport proved why he is regarded as the finest point guard in Southern California as he literally took over the game and led Santa Monica to a 66-49 victory over West Torrance.

The victory improved Santa Monica’s record to 13-4 and gave the three-time defending champions a 5-0 mark and undisputed possession of first place in the Bay League.

But the Vikings looked like anything but champions when West Torrance (12-5, 4-1) jumped out to a 16-11 lead at the end of the first quarter behind 6-6 center Dave Aaron, who has already signed with Santa Clara. The Warriors found numerous creases in the Santa Monica press and scored several easy layups.

However, Santa Monica suddenly picked up the tempo in the second quarter, outscoring West Torrance, 21-10, in the second quarter to take a 32-26 lead at the half. Davenport, hitting a series of short-range jumpers, scored 12 of those points and although West Torrance stayed close, it never recaptured the lead.

He opened the second half with four more jumpers. His spurt gave him 20 of Santa Monica’s 23 points, moving the Vikings from an 18-17 deficit to a 40-34 lead. He finished with a game-high 23 points, had six assists and also played free safety on the press, which eventually wore West Torrance down and turned the game into a mini-rout.

“Davenport is a good player,” said West Torrance Coach Dan McGee. “I’ve seen him play three times and that’s the best I’ve seen him play. He kept his concentration.”

Aaron led West Torrance with 18 points and eight rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to offset Santa Monica’s overall athletic superiority, especially jumpers like Sean Newman, J.D. Green and Spencer Henderson.