NORTH HOLLYWOOD BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT : El Camino Real Holds Off Feisty Canoga Park

Read between the lines.

El Camino Real High swingman Charles Adams said he had no special feelings about playing against his old teammates from Canoga Park on Wednesday night.

Uh-huh. Wink, wink.

“Nothing special,” said Adams, who was sent to El Camino Real this year after being involved in a fight at Canoga Park. “I basically just wanted to show them I can still play, that I ain’t lost nothing yet.”

Maybe so, but El Camino Real almost lost the game.

Canoga Park cranked up the pressure and almost pulled off an improbable comeback before falling, 71-64, in a wild first-round game of the North Hollywood tournament.

Adams, a junior, scored 19 points, including three thundering dunks, to lead El Camino Real (3-0) into a semifinal game tonight at 8:30 against North Hollywood.

But scrappy Canoga Park (2-3) put a considerable scare into El Camino Real with a quick-strike defensive surge that was almost enough to win--and this without flu-ridden center Arthur Bradford.

With El Camino Real holding a 54-45 lead, Canoga Park called time out with 5 minutes 35 seconds remaining. The Hunters then pressured the Conquistadores’ baseline inbounds passes and turned four quick turnovers into eight points to cut the lead to 54-53. “I choked,” El Camino Real point guard Sam Sarpong said. “I needed help. I couldn’t get the ball across half-court by myself.”

Sarpong would atone a few minutes later. Canoga Park pulled even when guard Jody Edington (19 points) was intentionally fouled while scoring on a breakaway lay-in. Edington made one of two free throws to tie the score, 58-58, with 2:29 left.

Sarpong, who finished with 15 points, made a pair of free throws and Adams converted a turnover into a dunk to hand El Camino Real a 62-58 lead with 1:43 left.

Sarpong, who scored all of his points in the second half, put the game away by nailing a three-point shot from NBA range for a 65-58 lead with 1:10 left. Thereafter, he made six of eight free throws as Canoga Park fouled to regain possession.

Kenyth Henry scored a game-high 22 points for El Camino Real and Markee Brown added 15. Glenn Davis scored 16 points--including 10 in the fourth quarter--and Desmond Callahan added 15 for Canoga Park.

Chatsworth 56, Monroe 55--Despite scoring only four points in the fourth quarter, Chatsworth (2-5) held on.

With the score tied, 55-55, Chatsworth forward Javier Jimenez made one of two free throws with 30 seconds remaining.

Monroe’s Tweedy Steiner missed a 15-foot jump shot with five seconds left and Kenyatta Niles missed a follow shot from six feet as time expired.

Monroe (4-1) scored eight unanswered points to open the fourth quarter before Trenell Floyd scored on a lay-in to extend Chatsworth’s lead to 54-50 with 4:20 left.

Niles scored inside with 3:05 left and LaMarco Rich tipped in a miss to pull Monroe even, 55-55, with 2:50 left, but the Vikings wouldn’t score again. Steiner led Monroe with 16 points and Niles added 14.

Floyd scored 19 and Brady Mertes added 16 for Chatsworth, which will face Grant tonight at 7.

North Hollywood 80, Reseda 63--Fantasia Johnson scored a team-high 20 points to lead the Huskies (8-0) to an easy win. Damon Ollie and Arthur Lee each added 17 points. Trenton Cross had 27 points for Reseda (1-4).

Grant 72, Granada Hills 57--Despite 27 points by forward Tyrone Jackman of Granada Hills (1-6), Grant won easily.

Marc Scorza scored 19 points to lead Grant (2-2), which jumped to a 21-12 first-quarter lead. Rick Forscutt added 18 points for Grant.