Alemany Sulks After Getting It Only Half Right

The team that was 5-25 last season can now say it won a playoff game.

You wouldn’t know it by the silence in the Alemany High locker room Friday night, after the Indians defeated Santa Paula, 62-49, in a first-round game of the Southern Section Division III-AA boys’ basketball playoffs at L.A. Baptist.

The expectations at Alemany have risen so high that a near-perfect first half was overshadowed by a sluggish second half.

Not even the fact that the Indians were making their first playoff appearance since 1987 improved the post-game mood.

“We just played terrible,” said Bryson Atkins, who scored 12 points. “We felt like a 26-point lead was good enough, but then we played down to their level. I can guarantee you one thing, we’ll play better next game.”

The good news for Alemany (18-6), which relies heavily on guards Atkins, Devin Montgomery and Reny Maynard, was establishing inside scoring.

Reggie Kinlaw, who will play football at Nevada and is known for his rebounding, scored 10 points, a total that would have been higher had he not missed four dunks, three on offensive rebounds.

“He was just clicking tonight,” Montgomery said of Kinlaw, who finished with 13 rebounds.

Alemany, which defeated Chaminade in the regular-season finale to claim a share of the Mission League title, played at times like it wants more than a league championship. The Indians allowed only 13 first-half points and took a 43-17 lead midway through the third quarter.

But Alemany allowed Santa Paula to close to within 56-46 on a three-pointer by Mike Kolbeck with 1:38 to play.

Montgomery and Atkins each made two free throws in the final minute to secure the outcome.

“When we play a whole game, that’s when we’ll be good,” said Montgomery, who scored 21 points. “Until then. . .”

Alemany, which had a nine-day layoff after defeating Chaminade, will get three more days off before playing at Anaheim Servite in the second round Tuesday night.

The highlight of the season for Santa Paula (14-13) was a one-point victory over Frontier League rival Santa Clara, but there were no heroics Friday.

The Cardinals committed 25 turnovers and made only 12 of 22 free throws.

“If we would have just played better in the first half, we would have been right there,” Santa Paula Coach Tom Donahue said. “Or if we would have made some foul shots, it could have been a different game.”

Kolbeck scored 16 points for Santa Paula.