Notre Dame Comes Together Against Montebello

There’s a sense of urgency for the Notre Dame High boys’ basketball team. Mission League play begins in less than two weeks, but the Knights are still learning about each other.

“We’re still trying to find a rhythm,” Rob DiMuro, Notre Dame’s coach, said Friday after an 83-54 victory over Montebello in a first-round game of the La Salle/Temple City tournament.

The Knights (6-3) have plenty of talent. Junior guard Dante Ward, who scored 23 points, can match up with fellow Mission standouts Victor Munoz of Harvard-Westlake and Cayce Cook of Chaminade. Junior center Chris Williams, who had 16 points, is making progress. Senior forward Joe Donnelly, who had 12 points, is a solid all-around player.

But Notre Dame isn’t as far along as Harvard-Westlake (10-1) or Chaminade (6-1) because the Knights just got their football players back, and the adjustment period is under way.

“It’s coming together at practice,” Ward said. “Every time we do well it’s when we take a couple days off [for practice].”

The Knights have four games to play before their Jan. 7 league opener against Chaminade.

Ward, who is trying to provide leadership, can shoot from long range. The Knights are hoping to create more scoring opportunities for him.

In other tournament games:

Harvard-Westlake 78, Mid City Magnet 66--When his team’s lead was cut to five points with 4:00 to go, Harvard-Westlake’s Russell Lakey responded by scoring nine consecutive points for Harvard-Westlake (10-1).

Lakey, a sophomore guard, finished with 28 points and Alex Holmes added 20. Ramesh Graham scored 21 points for Mid City (10-1), a City Section magnet school.

Harvard-Westlake faces Pasadena Marshall today at 3 p.m.

Montclair Prep 95, El Monte 57--Rocky Steryo scored 26 points and Micah Cohen had 12 assists, and the Mounties (8-3) earned a second-round matchup against Reseda tonight at 6 p.m. at La Salle. Jules Thompson had 17 points for Montclair Prep.

Reseda 49, Alhambra 48--Sophomore Michael Brignac hit a five-foot jump shot with 16 seconds to play for Reseda in a first-round game.

Brignac finished with 11 points. Sophomore Larry Knox scored 10 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter for Reseda (3-5).

La Salle 66, Village Christian 50--Paul Tait scored 22 points for Village Christian. Guard Aki Aquino scored 31 for LaSalle.