Point Loma Again Does It With Defense

David Aros’ eyes were watering badly at halftime of Point Loma High School’s City Eastern League boys’ basketball game against Madison Wednesday at Point Loma.

Aros, Point Loma’s coach, was having eye problems because he was getting over the flu. But by the time his team was finished dismantling Madison, 64-49, he was feeling much better.

Point Loma gave Aros plenty of reasons to feel good.

The Pointers had held Madison’s Robby Robinson, the county’s leading scorer (29.7 points a game), to 2 points in the first half and 9 for the game.

And when the second half started, Point Loma had all five starters on the floor at one time for the first time this season.

John Louis and Marcel Brown took turns shadowing Robinson, Louis working with finesse and Brown with force.

“Our strength is our man-to-man defense,” Aros said. “I think Louis is as good a defender as anybody around. Our philosophy is simple: Make them shoot the ball from outside, and then hit the boards. Our kids take pride in their defense.”

Point Loma (9-8, 1-1) is allowing about 50 points a game this season--a little less than 13 points a quarter.

The Pointers took a 15-12 first-quarter lead, increased it to 31-21 at halftime and then quelled Madison’s third-quarter rally. Madison (9-8, 1-1) cut the margin to 39-34 with 55 seconds remaining in the third quarter. But Point Loma scored the final 6 points of the quarter, increasing the lead to double figures again and effectively pressuring Madison out of the game.

“We ran into a better team today,” said Madison Coach Jim Thompson, whose team won the City Eastern League last year with a 10-0 record. “They’re the team to beat in the City Eastern League, no doubt about it.”

Despite a loss to Serra in its City Eastern League opener Friday, Point Loma might be the team to beat--especially now that Aros has his starters together. Those include a couple of Point Loma football players, a string-bean center and a forward with one leg shorter than the other.

Brown and Louis are the football players. Beau Pack, a 6-foot 5-inch shooting forward, started the second half Wednesday after missing 8 games with pulled muscles in his back. The back took longer to heal than expected because Pack’s left leg was found to be a quarter-inch longer than his right leg, thus aggravating the back each time it started healing.

The center, 6-7, 185-pound Jimmy Griffin, scored a team-high 12 points against Madison. Junior J.J. Stokes, the fifth starter, “is starting to play like a seasoned player,” Aros said.

All but Brown scored in double figures against Madison. Stokes, Pack and guard Rob Quintana had 11 points each and Louis had 10.

Brad Eaddy scored 12 points and Kirk Banister had 11 for Madison.