Maranatha Summer Block Party turns into proving ground for boys’ basketball trio

PASADENA — Perhaps without intention, the week-long Maranatha High Summer Block Party has served a larger purpose than simply providing the Pasadena High, La Salle and Maranatha boys’ basketball teams an opportunity to experiment with rosters, substitutions, chemistry and sets.

The summer basketball tournament has also allowed all three teams to assert early city dominance.

Nowhere was the friction more palpable than in Friday morning’s consolation tournament bracket game between La Salle and Pasadena, which ended with one minute remaining in regulation and the Lancers leading, 54-45, when both teams were accessed a total of four technical fouls.

Initially, La Salle’s Milan Acquuah and Pasadena’s Nick Brown were called for a double technical about 30 seconds before Pasadena first-year Coach Tony Brooks was teed up for questioning why his player was given a technical foul.

In the argument between Brooks and the officials, La Salle second-year Coach Jelani Gardner was drawn into the heated discussion and also earned his second technical, which led to his expulsion and the eventual end of the contest.

For Brooks and Gardner, dialogue that had begun well before the game had finally ceased.

“He said I stole one of his players. I never stole one of his players,” Gardner said after the game as to what Brooks allegedly said to incite him. “Any players that come to La Salle are attracted to La Salle. I can’t push a kid away, but I’ve never gone out and recruited anyone. For him to say that, that’s a lie.”

Gardner and Brooks chirped at each other midway through the first half when Gardner challenged Brooks to put La Salle on his schedule.

“I’d love to play them. I’d love to play any team in the San Gabriel Valley. It’s about rivalries and what’s good for the community,” Gardner said. “They don’t want to play us and that’s too bad.”

Brooks responded to Gardner’s “act” after the game.

“I’m a person who’s here for the kids’ benefit. I want to create well-rounded citizens, not just basketball players,” Brooks said. “I’m going to teach fundamentals and stuff like that ‘til the cows come home. I’m going to be a good example in myself and those are things that certain people are lacking.”

As for the cheating allegation, Brooks shook his head.

“It is what it is. You’ll know soon enough who that player is and that player is still enrolled in Pasadena High School and he’s had him in his gym,” Brooks said. “I know what he’s doing, he knows what he’s doing and he knows that I know what he’s doing.”

As for the contest itself, Lancers sophomore sensation Vance Jackson paced his team with 24 points and 14 rebounds and spoke about his offseason, which included an offer from the University of Connecticut.

“I stay humble when the offers come in and I’m happy,” Jackson said. “There’s nothing I can really do about the offers, so I’m just going to play.”

Acquuah added 15 points for La Salle despite openly being chided by a parent in the first half.

As for Pasadena, senior Nick Brown asserted himself in leading the way with 25 points.

During all the action, new Maranatha Coach Tim Tucker tried to calm members of the crowd in the first half and then the La Salle and Pasadena coaches in the second half.

His squad pulled double duty Friday, playing in an 11:30 a.m. game because of a cancellation and at 3:30 p.m.

The action allowed Tucker to show off some of his new players in transfers Nick Springer (Crescenta Valley), Lucio Bolado (Glendora), Muusa Dama (African nation of Benin) and Austin Barbato (San Dimas).

“It’s exciting. This is a young and new team and right now it’s all about finding a role for each player,” Tucker said. “Right now, we’re not going to be able to beat some of the better teams in the [San Gabriel Valley] like Chino Hills, but we might be by November.”

Even though the Minutemen lost to Chino Hills on Thursday, 65-46, in the second round of the championship bracket, maybe the highlight of the game came with a minute left when the 6-foot-8 Dama stole a pass at mid-court and raced for a dunk.

“I wanted to do something exciting and dunk,” said Dama, who’s been in the country for less than two weeks. “I just couldn’t lay the ball up. I had to show something.”