Prep Basketball BOYS : Cook Stirs Van Nuys to League Title, 51-42

After losing to Van Nuys High School for the third time in as many games this season, Polytechnic basketball Coach Al Uyemura was asked what his Parrots would have to do if the teams play again.

“Get a 6-8 player in the hole,” Uyemura said after Van Nuys’ 51-42 win over Polytechnic on Wednesday gave the Wolves the East Valley League championship.

That’s a luxury Van Nuys Coach Jeff Halpern has enjoyed all year in the form of Anthony Cook.

Cook, a senior forward, towered over Poly, scoring 18 points and grabbing seven rebounds. But it was Cook’s imposing 6-foot 8-inch frame in the backcourt that figured most prominently as he led Van Nuys to its ninth league win against no losses.

When Cook wasn’t swatting Poly shots away, his mere presence was forcing them to be altered. The Parrots, with no player taller than 6-2, managed several shots from close in, but they didn’t fall through the net.

“More than likely, the easy misses can be attributed to Cook’s presence,” Uyemura said after his team fell to 6-3 in league and 9-9 overall.

Poly came out firing, making five of its first eight shots, every one from at least 15 feet. Steve Quan and John Larson hit three long-range jumpers to help the Parrots grab a 14-6 lead after the first quarter.

Quan nailed two more from outside to stake Poly to a 20-12 advantage. At that point, Poly had connected on half of its 20 shots.

For the rest of the second quarter, however, Poly made only one of 10 attempts. The Wolves outscored Poly, 10-2, to forge a 22-22 tie at the half.

Credit Cook, Mohamed Marhaba and Todd Deeds for the rally. Marhaba dominated the boards--finishing with 11 rebounds and six points--while the seldom-used Deeds, who is 6-1 and weighs 205 pounds, replaced Nate Williams and added some muscle underneath.

Poly made just one of 12 shots in the third quarter to fall behind, 34-26, entering the final eight minutes. The Parrots never got closer than six points as Cook scored 10 points in the fourth quarter.

The victory was Van Nuys’ 13th straight and 18th in 20 games this season.

“This is great,” said Halpern, the first-year coach, about his first league title on the varsity level. “We’ve worked hard. It’s a dream come true. Now, we’ve just got to keep going in the playoffs.”