2nd-Half Rally Puts Cleveland Past Chatsworth

Just like old times.

Considering that the subject of that statement is Cleveland High basketball, it’s more than a mouthful.

The Cavaliers roared back in the second half Friday, erasing a 13-point deficit, and buried Chatsworth, 65-56, in a West Valley League game at Cleveland.

There was pressing defense, a full house of screaming ‘Land fans and, most importantly, a share of the league title at stake.

“Just like old times,” Cleveland forward Shawn Bankhead said.

The teams finished tied in the standings at 8-2, and a coin flip Monday will determine the league’s top-seeded entry in the City Section 4-A Division playoffs, which begin Wednesday.

It marked quite a turnaround for the once-storied Cleveland program, which finished 8-15 last season and was two games behind Chatsworth with two league games remaining.

Bankhead (25 points) and senior guard Tooki Akinloye (23) keyed a near-perfect second half for Cleveland, which trailed, 36-24, at halftime. The Chatsworth lead reached 13 before the Cavalier counterpunching began in earnest.

Chatsworth (14-10) moved to a four-corner offense in the quarter, but it was a four-star failure. Cleveland (14-8) closed the quarter with a 17-2 run--capped by Akinloye’s three-pointer at the buzzer--to take a 46-44 lead entering the fourth.

Akinloye and Bankhead, whose concussive dunk with 2 minutes 22 seconds in the third ignited the offense, combined for 13 of the points in the streak.

It was all Bankhead in the fourth. The 6-foot-6 forward scored nine of Cleveland’s first 11 points in the quarter as the Cavaliers took a 57-48 lead. In all, Cleveland went on a 28-6 run covering 8:25 of the third and fourth quarters.

Bankhead and Akinloye together scored 33 of Cleveland’s 41 second-half points. No other Cavalier scored in the fourth quarter.

Senior center Brady Mertes led Chatsworth with 18 points but was held to one field goal in the second half.

With three seconds left, Bankhead took a victory lap around the gym, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Cleveland had lapped Chatsworth in the second half, 41-20.

“This is the way I like it,” Bankhead said as he surveyed the postgame revelry.

And the way it used to be.