Slam-N-Jam Tournament Starts Today

The eighth annual L.A. Gear Slam-N-Jam Basketball Invitational Tournament starts today at Cal State Long Beach and Long Beach Wilson High.

There are 45 high school teams from 18 states and Canada entered in the tournament. Twenty-two games will be played daily through Wednesday and more than 50 high school all-stars, including Morningside’s Stais Boseman, are expected to compete.

Tournament activities will also include a dunk contest before the 8:30 p.m. final Wednesday and a three-point shooting contest at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Long Beach’s West Gym.

Games begin daily at 9 a.m. through Tuesday. Wednesday’s games begin at 3 p.m. Daily tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for students and $2 for children under 12.

North Torrance High continued its strong play in summer football by winning the championship of the sixth annual Summer Games Festival last weekend at North. Led by junior quarterback Frank Ramirez, who was named most valuable player, North finished the two-day, 20-team festival with a 6-1 record. The Saxons beat Beverly Hills, 20-14, in the final.

North, which was 2-8 last football season, also defeated defending L.A. City 4-A Division champion Carson, 26-20, for the second time this summer. The Saxons beat Carson last month in the L.A. Watts Summer Games. North finished second to Canyon of Canyon Country in the Watts Games.

Summer football games are conducted in touch format and players do not wear helmets or pads.

Peninsula High won the team weightlifting competition. Steve Davis, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound senior lineman for Torrance, set a festival record with a lift of 1,030 pounds on the hip sled. Peninsula junior Taso Papadakis (6-1, 230) also broke the previous record with a lift of 1,000 pounds.

The Linguini and Baseball Luncheon with Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda will return to San Pedro on July 29 at the Doubletree Hotel Cabrillo Marina, 2800 Via Cabrillo Marina, from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Lasorda will be joined by other Dodger coaches, notably San Pedro native Joe Amalfitano.

Lunch is open to the public at $25 per person, with proceeds benefiting the National Assn. of Professional Baseball Players. Reservations are required by July 26. Reservations and information: Ingrid Ferguson, (213) 514-3344.

The Peninsula Babe Ruth League will play host to the state finals starting Saturday at George Allen Field in Palos Verdes Estates.

The tournament, featuring the state’s top 13-year-olds, will run through July 27. Escondido and Burbank play in the opener at 10 a.m., followed by Peninsula vs. Imperial at 2 p.m.

Games will be played daily through July 27, when the championship is scheduled for 10 a.m., followed by closing ceremonies.

The Peninsula team is managed by Gary Furlong and coached by David Wang and Peter Hoorelbeke. Players include Caleb Haskell, James Wang, Matt Streeter, Jesse Hoorelbeke, Taka Kono, Walter Tsai, Chris Strong, Bryan Spinelli, Doug Hayes, Russ Furlong, Gary Furlong, Mike Clavadetscher, John LaBrucherie, Paul Simonetti, David Marsh and John Gebhart.

Former World Boxing Assn. heavyweight champion James (Bonecrusher) Smith makes his Southern California debut against Kimmuel Odum on Monday at the Forum.

Smith is 26-8 with 20 knockouts. Odum is 12-8 with 11 KOs.

Smith is one of three boxers to go 12 rounds with Mike Tyson. He has won seven consecutive fights, including a knockout of Terry Armstrong in his last bout on June 28 in Nice, France.

The card starts at 7 p.m.

Lori Kotas and Gail Castro defeated Karolyn Kirby and Angela Rock, 15-8, to win a women’s professional beach volleyball tournament at Venice on Sunday.

Karch Kiraly and Kent Steffes beat Sinjin Smith and Randy Stoklos, 15-7, to win a men’s tournament in Grand Haven, Mich.

The women’s tour will stop in Boulder, Colo., this weekend and the men play in Chicago.