Sofro, Chin Lead Way for Glendale : Prep basketball: Dynamiters beat Antelope Valley, 78-67, despite Wright sitting on the bench for nearly half the game.

Glendale High was without catalyst Mike Wright for nearly half the game Tuesday night, but the Dynamiters still had little trouble defeating Antelope Valley, 78-67, in a Southern Section Division I-AA qualifying-round basketball game.

Wright, a 6-foot-4 senior forward, didn’t start and spent the first quarter on the bench as a penalty for missing practice Monday.

He didn’t finish the game either because he fouled out with 3 minutes 41 seconds to play.

And in between, Wright contributed only 12 points, nine below his average.

But in Wright’s absence, starters David Sofro and Paul Chin filled in with career-best performances to lead Glendale to victory.

Glendale (16-11) will play at Alhambra in a first-round playoff game Friday.

Sofro, a 6-1 junior forward, scored a career-high 23 points--including four of six three-point shots--and grabbed eight rebounds.

Chin, a 5-7 junior guard, scored a career-high 18 points, including five of seven three-point shots.

As a team, Glendale made nine of 18 three-point shots and was 31 of 56 (55%) from the field overall.

Glendale Coach Bob Davidson said the plan to attack from the outside was a gamble necessitated by Wright’s absence. And it paid off.

By the time Wright entered the game in the second quarter, Glendale had a 24-14 lead on the strength of 11 points by Sofro and six by Chin.

Sofro made three three-point shots and Chin made a pair in the opening quarter.

Wright was perhaps most entertaining scoring his first three baskets.

In the second quarter, Wright leaped high to receive an alley-oop pass from guard Hai Tran and gently slipped it into the basket.

Wright, who said he missed Monday’s practice with the flu, electrified the crowd with a breakaway one-handed dunk in the third quarter..

Wright and Sofro scored seven points in the third quarter to extend Glendale’s lead to 62-46.

Antelope Valley (9-16), which entered the game with a three-game winning streak, was led by guard Rodney Flakes with 15 points.