Crossroads’ Teamwork Beats Verbum Dei

Deon Williams may have won the battle of standout guards, but Baron Davis and Santa Monica Crossroads High walked away with the Southern Section Division IV-A championship trophy after an 88-71 victory over Verbum Dei Friday night in the Bren Center at Irvine.

Williams of Verbum Dei scored 30 points to Davis’ 20. While Williams was scoring, however, Davis was passing to the likes of forward Kejuan Woods (28 points) and guard Namrod Girmai, who scored 18 of his 20 points in the second half as Crossroads (25-8) extended a 45-36 halftime lead.

“In the second half I didn’t have to do it all,” said the 6-foot-2 Davis said. “And the other guys picked it up.”

Woods’ performance, which included 13 points in the third quarter, was aided by the absence of Verbum Dei’s 6-6 center Phillip Blackmon, who got into foul trouble early and played only 10 minutes.

“It helped having him out of there,” Crossroads Coach Daryl Roper said. “We relied on our outside shooting in the first half, but in the second half it opened things up inside, and Baron and Kejuan were able to work a two-man game.”

It was a three-man game with Girmai, who scored his season high, including eight of 10 from the free-throw line.

Keith Brooks, who scored 10 points, was the only other player in double figures for Verbum Dei (17-11).