City Section Boys’ Basketball : Lofton Reaches Highs in 1st-Round Victory

Senior forward Brent Lofton turned in his strongest performance of the season to lead El Camino Real High to a 72-57 victory over Lincoln in a City Section 3-A Division playoff game Friday at El Camino Real.

Lofton had season-highs with 33 points and 19 rebounds for El Camino Real (10-8), which scored a season-high 28 points in the fourth quarter.

Despite Lofton’s heroics, Lincoln, behind junior Aaron Atkinson’s 28 points, rallied to within three, 44-41, after three quarters.

However, Jason Steele started the fourth quarter with an acrobatic dunk that ignited the Conquistadores’ final surge. Steele finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, Charles Crow had 13 and Jason Farrell added 10.

4-A DIVISION

Dorsey 75, Granada Hills 69--Alvin Brown scored 18 of his 26 points in the second half but it wasn’t enough to revive the Highlanders, who made just six of 23 field-goal attempts in the first half at Hamilton High.

While Granada Hills (13-9) struggled, Dorsey made 19 of 27 field-goal attempts to streak to a 45-28 halftime lead. Jamal Brantley scored 17 points for the Highlanders. Tony Madison led Dorsey with 26.

Crenshaw 62, Kennedy 48--Terry Cannon scored 14 of his game-high 22 points in the fourth quarter as Crenshaw whipped visiting Kennedy with a 21-14 fourth-quarter run.

With Crenshaw leading, 41-34, after three quarters, Cannon hit consecutive three-point baskets to trigger the rally.

Kennedy (12-9) led, 18-13, after a quarter but scored only eight points in both the second and third quarters. Randy Brown scored 21 points to lead Kennedy.

3-A DIVISION

University 50, Grant 40--The Warriors jumped ahead at the outset and never trailed at Grant. Grant’s Troy Mcleod scored 10 points and was the only Lancer in double figures.

Grant converted only 18 of 52 field-goal attempts (34.6%) and made four of eight free throws. Sean Watkins had 10 rebounds to lead Grant (17-4).

University (16-6) led by six points in the last two minutes and held off a Lancer rally.

Bell 51, Chatsworth 47 (OT)--Chatsworth went to leading scorer Rick Garrick once too often in a losing effort at Bell.

Garrick scored a team-high 22 points, including all four Chatsworth points in overtime. But he missed the final two shots of the game after Chatsworth (12-9) fell behind by four points.

Bell (14-7) came back from a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter and sent the game into overtime, 43-43, after Cesar Uballe made two free throws with 45 seconds left.

Uballe, who led Bell with 18 points, made two more free throws in overtime to give Bell the lead for good, 49-47.

Wilson 56, Reseda 54 (OT)--Facing a team that had beaten them by 26 points early in the season, the Regents extended Wilson into overtime before losing the first-round game at Wilson.

Reseda’s Marquis Wilborn, a junior varsity player promoted for the playoffs, scored 14 points, two with one second left in regulation to tie the score, 47-47.

Coley Kyman added 13 points and 12 rebounds for Reseda (9-11).

Los Angeles 85, Poly 75--The Parrots hit 26 of 42 shots, including nine of 12 from three-point range, but still fell short in the first-round game at Los Angeles.

John Bruner scored a game-high 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting and teammate Scott Cooper added 27 points (eight-of-12 shooting, four three-point baskets), 13 rebounds and 10 assists for Poly (11-11).

Los Angeles (15-8) was led by 6-9 center Adam Henderson with 21 points.