BOYS’ DIVISION IV : Serra Lets Good Times Roll Against Salinas Palma, 67-44

Dwan Hurt had not exactly been building a boys’ basketball empire at Serra High in Gardena.

In four years as the Cavaliers’ coach, Hurt had a 52-65 record. The team finished fifth in the Southern Section’s Camino Real League last season.

But Hurt saw potential and a desire to win in his players, so he decided to work harder during the off-season.

The effort paid off, as Serra completed its turnaround with a 67-44 victory over Salinas Palma in the State Division IV final at the Oakland Coliseum Arena on Friday.

The game was not as close as the score might indicate. The Cavaliers led from start to finish, by as may as 33 points during the second half.

“I’m definitely surprised at how one-sided the game was,” Hurt said. “I saw Palma in the State finals last year, and I knew they were a good team. But it seemed as if nothing went wrong for us today.”

Palma, the defending Division IV champion, finished 21-12. It shot only 27% and no player scored in double figures.

“Put it this way, I didn’t see any faults in Serra today,” said Joey Diaz, Palma’s starting center. “That’s what I call a complete package.”

Coach Greg Scattini offered no excuses in defeat, and had nothing but praise for the Cavaliers.

“They were head over heels above us in athleticism,” he said. “They dominated us in every phase of the game.”

Serra’s powerful front line, anchored by 6-foot-7 center Akeli Jackson and 6-5 forwards Arthur Tate and Michael Boyd, let the Cavaliers outrebound Palma, 36-23.

Boyd led the Cavaliers in scoring with 15 points. Jackson, headed to Cal State Long Beach, added 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

Guards Alex Davis and Roderick Swift scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, for Serra.

The Cavaliers finished 26-7 and won their last 18 games. They opened the Southern Regional last week with a 112-45 victory over San Diego Clairemont, and followed that with a 101-53 victory against Corcoran.

The closest game was in the regional final, a 69-67 victory over San Diego Lincoln.

Hurt pointed to that game as a turning point.

Serra, which went 15-17 last season, thought it could be a contender again this season after losing to Santa Clara in the regional semifinals.

Hurt said he worked the team harder than ever last summer. The Cavaliers played a tough early schedule, losing seven games before Jan. 1.

“But we never gave up hope,” Jackson said.