Crenshaw Athletes Take Simi Valley to School, 70-49

New encounters can be a fun-filled learning experience--or a 32-minute avalanche of thunderous dunks and waves of in-your-jersey defense.

The Simi Valley High boys’ basketball team unfortunately fell victim to the latter Tuesday night during a 70-49 loss to Crenshaw in the opening round of the Southern California regional Division I championships at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

“They pound the glass harder than any team we’ve ever seen,” Simi Valley junior center Vernon Simmons said. “They are very athletic.”

Said Pioneer Coach Dean Bradshaw: “They are probably the most athletic team we’ve ever faced. They are not just fast, but they also have a lot of wide bodies. Every time you look up, they are getting second and third shots.”

The Pioneers, who finished second in the Marmonte League and lost to Long Beach Jordan, 61-59, in double overtime of the Southern Section I-AA Division championship game, finished the season with a record of 24-7.

City Section 4-A Division champion Crenshaw (25-2) used its superior height, weight and athleticism to dominate Simi Valley. Tremaine Fowlkes, Crenshaw’s standout 6-foot-6 junior center, led the Cougars with 19 points, 11 rebounds and six blocked shots.

He teamed with 6-5 junior forward Kristaan Johnson (14 points, eight rebounds) and 6-7 junior forward Leon Watson (eight points, eight rebounds, two blocks) to control the game. The 6-6 Simmons (14 points, seven rebounds) and 6-2 senior swingman Craig Griffin (21 points, seven rebounds) at times held their own against Crenshaw’s imposing front line, but the Cougars had too much--of everything.

“This was really different,” 5-9 senior point guard Ryan Briggs (nine points) said. “Besides being 6-3 and taller, their guards are also really fast.

“I just couldn’t throw over them. We don’t see too many guards like theirs where we’re from.”

Despite being outplayed for much of the game, the Pioneers trailed by only six, 50-44, with 5 minutes 12 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

However, the Cougars went on a 12-1 run to seal the game.

Crenshaw enjoyed a 12-point halftime lead (34-22) over Simi Valley. The Pioneers were unable to handle the Cougars’ tenacious man-to-man defense.

The Cougars outscored the Pioneers, 8-2, to open the game and led, 15-4, with 2:30 remaining in the first quarter. Simi Valley cut the lead to five (22-17) with 5:10 to play before halftime, but Crenshaw went on a 10-2 run to thwart the mini-comeback. Briggs appeared befuddled against the Cougars’ full-court press, trying to find teammates while attempting to look over players several inches taller. But it really didn’t matter: no one was open, anyway.