Flintridge Prep basketball feasts on Kilpatrick

LA CANADA — The Flintridge Prep boys’ basketball team took a break from Prep League action Wednesday to continue what has become a nonleague tradition.

The Rebels hosted Kilpatrick in a game, then the two schools sat down for a friendly dinner.

The food probably tasted a little better to the Flintridge Prep players, taking into consideration they had just rolled to an easy 67-44 win against the Mustangs.

“It has become a nice tradition between the two schools,” Rebels Coach Garrett Ohara said. “We like to play them every year because they are usually very athletic and it gives us a different look from a team we might see in our league.”

Kilpatrick (2-12) couldn’t stop the roll Flintridge Prep (12-5) have been on as of late. The win was the sixth straight for the Rebels, who are ranked No. 2 in the latest CIF Southern Section Division V-AA poll.

“That ranking is something that’s important to us,” Ohara said. “We want to be able to keep that ranking and playing like we did tonight helps.”

Robert Cartwright provided the offensive spark for the Rebels, as the junior poured in 20 points to go along with four steals. Scott Tsangenos came off the bench to score 10 points.

A fine defensive effort by Flintridge Prep allowed Ohara to tap into his bench early, after the Rebels jumped out to a 27-15 advantage after the first quarter.

“It’s good to get some guys some experience so early in a game,” Ohara said. “It gives them a chance at some playing time. …We played well on defense.

“We didn’t play flawless, but we played pretty well.”

Kilpatrick didn’t help its cause in the second quarter, as poor shooting and a stingy defense yielded the Mustangs just two points.

By that point, the Rebels controlled all aspects of the game and went into halftime with a comfortable 38-17 lead.

Kilpatrick played better in the second half, but it was never a threat to get back into the game.