BOYS' BASKETBALL: AFFLALO LEADS CENTENNIAL CENTENNIAL 65, CHAMINADE 49.Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer For UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX fans in desperate need of a hope for their downtrodden down·trod·den adj. Oppressed; tyrannized. downtrodden Adjective oppressed and lacking the will to resist Adj. 1. sports teams, Chaminade High of West Hills was the place that offered a ray of hope Tuesday because Centennial High of Compton visited the Eagles in a Southern Section Div. III-A boys' quarterfinal playoff game Noun 1. playoff game - one game in the series of games constituting a playoff game - a single play of a sport or other contest; "the game lasted two hours" playoff - any final competition to determine a championship . On one end of the court was Centennial guard Arron Afflalo Arron Agustin Afflalo (born October 15, 1985) is an American professional basketball player, currently with the Detroit Pistons. He recently completed a three-year career at University of California, Los Angeles in the Pacific Ten Conference of the NCAA as the starting shooting , a McDonald's All-American and one of the key pieces in UCLA basketball coach Ben Howland's highly regarded recruiting class. On the other was Chaminade guard Marcus Everett, a talented receiver who will join the Bruins' football team next season. And in the stands was Taft of Woodland Hills point guard Jordan Farmar Jordan Robert Farmar (born November 30, 1986) is an American professional basketball player at starting point guard for the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers. He was previously the starting point guard for the UCLA men's basketball team. who, like his future UCLA teammate Afflalo, was named a McDonald's All-American last week and is expected to be an immediate contributor for the Bruins. Farmar, who leads Taft against Crenshaw cren·shaw also cran·shaw n. A variety of winter melon (Cucumis melo var. inodorus) having a greenish-yellow rind and sweet, usually salmon-pink flesh. [Origin unknown.] tonight in the second round of the City Championship playoffs, was there to watch Afflalo, although Chaminade did its best to limit the 6-foot-5 guard's highlight opportunities by dropping into a zone defense the entire game. Afflalo clearly was surprised - and frustrated frus·trate tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates 1. a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: - by the defense, struggling to find a shooting rhythm until the fourth quarter when he made three consecutive 3-pointers to help Centennial break open a close game on its way to a 65-49 victory. Afflalo, who finished with 22 points on 7-of-19 shooting, credited Chaminade (15-16) with throwing him off his game by employing the zone and daring him to shoot from the outside. ``We definitely weren't expecting that, not after watching film on them,'' Afflalo said. ``All we saw was man defense, and then they come out in a zone and for whatever reason, I just wasn't ready to shoot the ball tonight.'' Afflalo didn't break loose until an early stretch of the fourth quarter, first getting a fortunate bounce on a long 3-pointer then hitting two more 3-pointers to key a 13-2 Centennial run to make the score 56-41. ``You can only do so much with a player that talented, that's why he's an All-American,'' Chaminade's Adrian Aye-Darko said. ``We did a pretty good job on him for three quarters, but he got it going in the fourth and that was the key.'' Chaminade, which got 15 points from Everett and 14 from Jeff Martin Jeff Martin is the name of:
``You want the ball when the game is on the line, and fortunately I was able to get it going at just the right time,'' Afflalo said. Vincent Bonsignore, (818) 713-3612 vincent.bonsignore(at)dailynews.com |
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