Crenshaw Dresses Down Washington in 86-74 Upset

A monthlong break from action seemed to agree with the Crenshaw boys’ basketball team.

The Cougars, ranked No. 10 in the Southland by The Times, returned to the court Wednesday afternoon for the first time since Dec. 22 to upset No. 3 Washington, 86-74.

Before an overflow crowd at Washington, Crenshaw led from start to finish, building leads as big as 21 points in the fourth period.

Ironically, the Cougars’ last game before the winter break was against Washington in the championship of the Los Angeles Officials Tournament. The Generals asserted themselves as a surprise City Division 4-A contender that day by pulling off a 94-85 victory.

“Crenshaw probably wanted it more than our kids did today,” said Washington Coach Dave Johnson. “And that was because of revenge. They had four weeks to think about this game, and they obviously came prepared. The difficult thing, though, is that I know we’re capable of playing better.”

The hiatus was anything but a vacation for Crenshaw. Coach Willie West worked with his young squad on perfecting the press, often holding five- or six-hour practices.

“Every practice we just went over and over our mistakes,” said Crenshaw guard Maurice Robinson, a 6-foot-1 senior. “The result was a big win today. This changes a lot of things now, and puts us back as one of the favorite City contenders.”

Robinson broke loose in the second half and finished with 20 points. Crenshaw had led 35-25 at halftime.

When the teams met in December, guard Craig Slaughter and forward Dayron Harris led Washington with 28 and 24 points, respectively. It was a different story Wednesday--Slaughter was held to 11 points and Harris to 18.

The Generals had trouble with outside shots and rebounds, often looking in disarray as Crenshaw controlled the quick tempo.

West seemed pleased with performances of several players, including Robinson, junior forward Tremaine Fowlkes and junior center Kristaan Johnson. Fowlkes had several slam dunks and led all scorers with 24 points. Johnson controlled the inside and added 14 points.

The Southern Pacific Conference title may come down to a Crenshaw-Washington rematch, which will be Feb. 5 at Crenshaw.

Records: Crenshaw 11-2; Washington 13-2