Boys’ basketball: Donald Gipson makes impressive return for Fairfax

There was a little grin on the face of Donald Gipson in the Fairfax huddle before he stepped onto the court for the first time in nine months on Thursday afternoon. All the hard work coming back from surgery for a partially torn ACL in his left knee suffered last March was about to pay off.

Not even an airball on his first shot and two more missed shots got him down. He proceeded to make four consecutive shots in the first quarter, including three from three-point range. He finished with 14 points in the Lions’ 79-39 win over Venice in their Western League opener.

“It was real fun playing with my teammates again,” said the 6-foot-3 Loyola Marymount signee who ended his junior year as one of the best guards in the City Section.

It’s going to take some time for him to regain his stamina and gain even more confidence that his knee is completely healed. Afterward, he received a hug from his future college coach, Loyola Marymount’s Mike Dunlap. And Fairfax’s No. 1 fan, Flea, was in attendance with his usual courtside seat.

It’s clear with a healthy Gipson, Fairfax (5-0) will be a formidable contender to repeat as Division I champions.

Two freshmen guards, Robert McRae and Ethan Anderson, had 11 and 10 points, respectively. Sophomore guard Jamal Hartwell had 12 points. Isaiah Bowers contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds. Center Babacar Thiombane had 11 rebounds.

Fairfax is headed next week for a tournament in Hawaii, and Gipson is ready to take his place as one of the best players in Southern California.

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