Cleveland Overcomes Cold Spell

Something about Friday’s game brought chills to the El Camino Real and Cleveland high basketball teams.

El Camino Real had six players ailing with the flu and played without Brent Lofton, the team’s leading scorer, in its home gym. Cleveland, which also has been hit by the flu bug, was just plain cold.

The Cavaliers won, 70-43, but did nothing to impress their coach.

“That was the worst game we’ve played in the three years that I’ve been coach,” Cleveland Coach Bob Braswell said. “I can’t think of anything positive that came out of this game. We just did not execute offensively or defensively.”

Braswell was mostly upset with Cleveland’s shooting. The Cavaliers made 24 of 63 field-goal attempts (38.1%), including four three-pointers, and 18 of 32 free throws (56.3%).

Still, Cleveland improved its record to 12-2, 4-1 in Valley League play. El Camino Real is 3-9, 2-4 in league play.

El Camino Real Coach Mike McNulty was thankful Cleveland played a sub-par game. McNulty said he was expecting the Cavaliers to score 120 points after he heard Lofton missed school because of the flu. Lofton is averaging 29.4 points and 12.2 rebounds a game in league play. Damon Orlando, the team’s second-leading scorer, has missed the last six games after being suspended for disciplinary reasons.

“That’s half our scoring and three-quarters of our rebounding,” McNulty said. “I told my assistant to batten down the hatches and get ready for the storm.”

McNulty jokingly told the scorekeeper to set the clock for five minutes instead of eight before the start of the game. But Cleveland needed only three minutes to take the lead for good at 9-6 when guard Adonis Jordan made a three-point shot.

Cleveland’s full-court pressing defense forced 16 turnovers in the first half and the Cavaliers led 35-22 at intermission.

Jordan scored 8 of his 17 points and had 5 steals in the third quarter to help Cleveland extend its lead to 29.

“Our players just got tired bringing the ball up against their press,” McNulty said. “Lofton usually helps bring the ball upcourt. That’s another reason why he’s so important to this team. I think it was a moral victory we did not give up 100 points or a dunk in the game.”

Cleveland forward Lucious Harris led all scorers with 18 points and forward Richard Branham added 13.

Nick Warner had 13 to lead El Camino Real.