Grant Thumps El Camino Real : Basketball: The Lancers advance with a 72-48 playoff victory.

It must be playoff time at Grant High.

While the Lancers polished their game to a fine point in a 72-48 drubbing of El Camino Real on Friday night in a first-round City Section 3-A Division match-up, Grant basketball Coach Howard Levine was shining some spiffy black penny loafers for wear on the sideline.

With argyle socks, to boot.

Levine is not one to frown upon wearing ancient running shoes with his blazers. In fact, it’s usually standard wear. So why the fancy footwear?

“Hey,” Levine said with a grin. “It’s the playoffs.”

Playoffs, indeed. Grant, taking the cue from its decked-out coach, turned in a surprisingly proficient performance, utilizing an inside game constructed on the foundation of a red-hot outside game to pull away early and never be seriously challenged.

Seniors Keith Weinstein and Setro Terzian were especially strong. The 6-foot-1 Weinstein scored a team-high 18 points, including four three-point baskets. Terzian scored 17 with two three-point baskets.

“They shot so well,” El Camino Real Coach Mike McNulty said. “It’s hard when they have two or three guys shooting those three-pointers.”

Terzian explained the explosion simply.

“I had to be on fire,” he said. “This is what I live for. I couldn’t wait for the playoffs.”

That might have explained Grant’s quick start. With the score tied, 6-6, early, Grant (21-3) embarked on a 13-1 run--buoyed by Terzian’s eight points--to open a 19-7 lead that helped to bury the Conquistadores (9-11).

Grant opened the second half with its most telling run. Guarding a 35-23 halftime lead, the Lancers started the third quarter by working the perimeter almost immediately for a three-point basket by Weinstein.

Twenty seconds later, after a missed shot by the Conquistadores, Weinstein hit another three-point shot for a 41-23 lead.

“We came out real intense in the second half,” Levine said.

Indeed, El Camino Real would get no closer than 17 points after that.

While El Camino Real’s Todd Orlando did everything he could to stem the tide, scoring a game-high 22 points, Grant employed a team effort. Guard JoJo Halberstadt had nine assists and center Brunell Mori was five for five from the field and finished with 13 points and nine rebounds.

Put it all together and Grant has a second-round appointment on Wednesday at home against Locke, a 65-62 winner Friday over Franklin in overtime.

“We’re gonna have to take it to another level,” Levine said. “Each game gets tougher and tougher.”