Cleveland Finished Almost From Start : Basketball: Cavaliers search for positives after 106-46 setback at Crenshaw.

Cleveland High’s basketball team is struggling to find a starting lineup--never mind an identity--and thus Cavalier preseason games almost have to be considered practices in fancy uniforms.

Even worse, in a game like Tuesday’s against Crenshaw, the goal is merely to make the loss respectable.

When you play the two-time defending state champion, you generally have to sift through quite a bit of wreckage to find a silver lining.

The Cavaliers fell, 106-46, at Crenshaw, an outcome that surprised no one.

“Everybody hopes to win, but you have to be realistic,” Cleveland Coach Kevin Crider said. “I think of it as a building experience, where you try to make the kids execute what you practice.”

Crider was entirely frustrated in the first half, as the Cougars’ trapping defense immediately turned the game into a rout.

Eight Cougars scored in the first quarter, led by Raymond Palmer’s nine points.

Cleveland (1-7) scored the first four points of the second quarter, which made it 28-12. Then the Cavaliers watched the taller, quicker, stronger Cougars (7-0) run off 17 consecutive points.

Crider exhorted his team to try to slow the tempo, make good passes and wait for a higher percentage shot.

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Nearly every Cleveland possession ended with a Cougar steal, a turnover or a wild shot--which was occasionally blocked.

Crenshaw led at halftime, 58-14.

“They beat us because they ran up and down the court,” said point guard Robert Serrano. “They’re so tall that I couldn’t pass over them. We’ll just have to look forward to better things.

“This is our first year that we’ve been together as a group. As the season goes on, we’ll get better.”

Better things happened in the second half. Crenshaw eased up on its ferocious full-court press and Cleveland didn’t appear quite so overwhelmed.

The Cavaliers were only outscored by eight points in both the third and fourth quarters.

“They let some of the pressure off,” Crider said. “Naturally, you play a bit better. I thought (Crenshaw Coach) Willie (West) could have demoralized us if he wanted to.”

Cleveland’s James Brignac scored 16 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, making two three-point shots and scoring on a variety of acrobatic shots.

Damian Willis scored 22 points for the Cougars, and Palmer and Corey Williams added 18.