Bobik Dunks Channel Islands, 70-53

He doesn’t have the size to dominate inside like center Rafael Berumen of Simi Valley High.

And he’s not as quick as Channel Islands guard O.J. Thomas.

But when it comes to an all-around game, no basketball player in the Marmonte League can top Daniel Bobik of Newbury Park.

The 6-foot-6 senior proved that again Friday night when he had 23 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and seven steals in the Panthers’ 70-53 victory over host Channel Islands.

The Brigham Young-bound Bobik went scoreless in the first quarter, missing his only shot, but he hit 10 of 19 shots thereafter and made a slew of big plays.

Two of the biggest came in the final minute of the third quarter.

Channel Islands (15-5, 6-4 in league), the No. 6-ranked team in the region, had trimmed a 30-20 halftime deficit to 46-44 with 1:35 left in the third quarter, but No. 4. Newbury Park scored the last six points of the quarter.

Brian Polen hit a pair of free throws to give the Panthers (19-4, 10-0) a 48-44 lead with 1:09 remaining and Bobik followed with an 18-foot jump shot to give Newbury Park a 50-44 advantage with 50 seconds left.

He then scored on a two-handed dunk with two seconds remaining in the quarter after stealing the ball from Thomas, who had been double-teamed by Bobik and Luther Staine.

“Any time I dunk, or someone on the team dunks, it gets us going,” Bobik said. “It gets your spirits going. [That play] gave us a big lift. Basketball is a game of spirit and that gave us a lot.”

Newbury Park scored the first four points of the fourth quarter to take a 56-44 lead with 6:47 left, but undermanned Channel Islands pulled to within 58-53 with 3:04 remaining after Julius Samuel put back a missed shot by Jonathan Monette.

The Raiders, who were playing their second game of the week without flu-ridden starters Dwight Sattiewhite and Paul Blair, ran out of gas after that. They missed six shots and committed two turnovers on their last seven possessions while Newbury Park hit five of their final six shots, including a 14-foot jumper by Bobik that came after his crossover dribble left a Channel Islands defender guarding air and drew a gasp from the crowd.

“He really kept us together tonight,” Newbury Park Coach Steve Johnson said of Bobik. “That play at the end of the third quarter was big. If they score on a three-pointer there, it’s a totally different game.”

Brian Bobik, Daniel’s 6-3 junior brother, scored 16 points for Newbury Park.