Price Defends Title After a Shaky Start

Price High’s size advantage over Oakland St. Elizabeth in Friday’s Division V state championship game was obvious to just about everyone except, apparently, Price’s players.

Price, the defending champion, was outrebounded in the first two quarters and found itself tied at halftime.

“They were pushing us around a little bit at the beginning,” Price forward Oscar Edwards said. “At halftime, our coach told us to force our will on them and do what we have to do to win state.”

Price’s bigger players responded in a big way and the Knights won their second title in a row with a 68-53 victory at Arco Arena.

Price, which finished 33-3, is the 10th school to win consecutive boys’ state championships and the first to accomplish the feat in Division V. The small school, on Vermont between Florence and Manchester boulevards, has established itself as a big player in the state’s smallest division.

“I’m addicted to winning,” said Price junior forward Khalief Washington, who at 6 feet 5 is the Knights’ tallest player. “I want to come back [to the state final next year].”

Senior guard Chris Alexander scored 18 points, the 6-4 Edwards had 14 points and 11 rebounds and Washington had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Price.

St. Elizabeth (23-13), with no player taller than 6-3, was led by 5-10 senior guard Bakari Altheimer, who was averaging 30 points a game in the state tournament. The Santa Clara-bound Altheimer scored 17 of his 28 points in the first half and St. Elizabeth went into the break tied, 30-30.

“We had a height advantage and we weren’t using it,” Price Coach Michael Lynch said. “I told our players to recognize the advantage and go for it.”

St. Elizabeth, however, took the early second-half lead. The Mustangs were ahead, 37-32, before Price started dominating the boards.

The Knights forged a 51-46 lead by the end of the third quarter, then pulled away in the fourth behind Edwards’ eight points--six coming on putbacks of missed shots.

Price, outrebounded 20-18 in the first half, finished with a 44-33 advantage.

“They were pretty strong down low,” said Altheimer, held to four free throws in the fourth quarter. “When they weren’t getting second-chance baskets, they were getting fouls and making their free throws.”

In girls’ championship games:

Hanford 64, Pleasanton Amador Valley 56--Hanford won the Division II title in its first championship-game appearance and handed Amador Valley its third consecutive loss in the final.

Brea Olinda defeated Amador Valley in 1999 and 2000.

Amy Parrish scored 23 points and had 17 rebounds and center Shawntinice Polk scored 12 points and had 10 rebounds for Hanford (31-2), which defeated Lakewood Artesia to advance to the championship game.

Hanford’s only losses were to Harbor City Narbonne, which plays for the Division I title tonight against Berkeley.

Senior guard Mia Fisher scored 31 points for Amador Valley (29-4).

La Jolla Country Day 69, San Lorenzo Redwood Christian 57--Freshmen Marissa Rivera and Candice Wiggins led the way for the Torres, who won the Division V title in their first championship-game appearance.

Rivera, a 6-foot forward, scored 20 points and had eight rebounds for Country Day (29-5). Wiggins, a 5-9 guard, scored 16 points and had eight rebounds.

Ashley Rentz added 13 points, Kaili Eszlinger 11 for the Torres.

Angela Thompson scored 15 points for Redwood Christian (24-7), which won the title in 2000.