SoCal Regional : Crenshaw Seeks 23rd Straight Win

The top-ranked boys’ basketball team in California, Crenshaw High, will play its last local game of the season when it meets Edison of Fresno in the Southern California Division I championship game at the Sports Arena tonight.

The winner of the 9 p.m. game will advance to Oakland to play for the State championship next Saturday night.

Undefeated City champion Crenshaw, ranked No. 1 in California and No. 2 in the nation by USA Today, has won 22 straight, including a 79-61 victory over Poway in the semifinals Wednesday night. Led by junior guard Steve Thompson, the Cougars are lightning-quick and play pressure defense as if they invented it.

Edison, however, is not going to go quietly into the night. Tuesday, in Fresno, the Tigers (26-3) outdistanced a good Fairfax team, 72-62. Led by forward David Barnett, a shooter whose range appears to be restricted only by the size of the gym, Edison may stay close, especially if shifty guard Curtis Whittle is able to find a seam in the Cougars’ relentless full-court press.

Although Crenshaw-Edison is the main event, it is far from the only attraction at the Sports Arena. Defending Division II champion Point Loma (26-0), will take the court at 7:15 against Delano (26-1) in the Division I girls’ game.

Point Loma, led by 6-3 forward Terri Mann, has won 55 straight games over two seasons. Mann, nicknamed Baby Moses, is averaging 20 points a game. In a 63-51 victory over Crenshaw in the semifinals, Mann pulled down 19 rebounds.

The third must-see is 6-6 magic man, Jerris Cole of Fresno’s Washington Union. Cole, averages 18 points a game, and has led the Panthers to a 27-0 record. Their last obstacle on the way to Oakland will be Oceanside (19-6). The Division II game will start at 5:15.

The morning session, beginning at 9, features La Jolla Country Day (18-0) against Woodlake (25-1) in the Division III girls’ game; San Diego Lutheran (21-4) against Avenal (21-2) in the Division III boys’ game at 10:45, and Oceanside El Camino (26-1) against Washington of Fresno (20-4) in Division II girls’ play at 12:30 p.m.