In Brief

Amir Soofi
Mirror contributing writer

   The Santa Monica High School Men’s Basketball team fell to Redondo 76-62. Santa Monica (10-9, 4-3) appeared intimidated at first, and did not play a composed game until the second half. Redondo, still undefeated, outperformed the Vikings on every statistic, including 48% shooting versus 39%, 16 trips to the free-throw line versus two, and only five fouls versus 12. The teams were tied on the boards (at around 30 each) and turned the ball over about a dozen times. Vikings high scorers were Brett DeAngelis with 21 points and Kyle Troupe with 11.
   Santa Monica played without four of its key players. Charles Gordon was away on a football recruiting trip and Terrill Maze, Scott Roberts, and Tim McGrath were on the bench with injuries. The Vikings are in third place in the league but have more games ahead, including this week’s home game on Friday against league rival Inglewood.
   Coach Daryl Roper and the Crossroads School Men’s Basketball team earned three formidable league victories this week, a tough feat in the Delphic League this season. Through the efforts of Troy Brown, with 16 points, Crossroads cruised past Montclair Prep, despite the near three-inch height disadvantage at every position, 58-45. The next game, at Bel Air Prep, proved worth watching, for at least the first half, which ended in a 33-29 lead for the Roadrunners. The 15 minute break helped Crossroads, apparently, as the team came out and shot away to a 76-53 blowout. The last of the three victories came on a Friday night game that showcased the school spirit most vivid on non-school nights, as Crossroads put away rival Brentwood 57-47. The Roadrunners (10-4) have taken a seeming rebuilding year (with the loss of last season’s key seniors like 6’10” Isaiah Fox, now at Arizona) and turned it into another quest for the CIF tournament championship.
   The Santa Monica High School Women’s Water Polo team, on a mission for a fifth consecutive Bay League title, has had a shaky start. Led by Jessi Lafayette (12) and Sarah Samantilla (11), the Lady Greenies ousted CIF rivals Burroughs and Cypress, but fell to Redondo in a close 6-8 decision. These games are good indicators of what to expect at CIF, since all four teams should appear in the late rounds of the tournament.