Masson Helps Colts at the Right Time

Twenty-six years as a high school basketball coach has taught Richard Masson something about when to use a timeout. He used two timeouts in the opening two minutes of the third quarter Friday night, determined to get the attention of his Carson High players.

“I saw momentum slipping,” he said. “I didn’t like our intensity.”

Masson’s intervention made all the difference, because the Colts refused to squander a 12-point halftime lead and came away with a 57-48 victory over Woodland Hills Taft in a first-round game of the City Championship basketball playoffs.

Samuel Hill scored 15 points, Ekene Ibekwe had 13 points and 12 rebounds and Marques Washington added 10 points for the No. 8-seeded Colts (18-7), who next play top-seeded Westchester.

Taft (16-9), the West Valley League champion, could never get closer than five points in the second half despite an energetic performance from All-City guard Steve Smith, who scored 26 and had eight rebounds and eight steals.

“Everyone was telling me he was this, he was that,” Hill said. “After playing him, I give him a nine out of 10. He kept his team in the game.”

Carson made 10 of 12 free throws in the fourth quarter to maintain its lead. There were more than 40 as both teams used trapping defenses.

Eric Sondheimer

*

Fairfax 95, Locke 67--Evans Burns had 30 points and seven rebounds and Jahsha Bluntt had 16 points and nine rebounds for second-seeded Fairfax (27-3). Jamal Boykin and Kevin Bell scored 10 points each for Fairfax. Kevin Lewis had 29 for Locke.

In girls’ City Championship playoff games:

Chatsworth 48, Crenshaw 45--The third-seeded Chancellors blew almost all of an eight-point fourth-quarter lead but held on to beat the Cougars and advance to a second-round game against Sylmar, a 55-46 winner over Palisades.

Crenshaw (18-7), Coliseum League champion, made four of 15 free throws, and in the third quarter when its defense held Chatsworth to four points, Crenshaw made three of 18 shots.

Chatsworth (20-7), the West Valley champion, made 16 of 24 free throws. Linnae Barber led the Chancellors with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Summer Johnson added 12, and two free throws with 1:19 seconds remaining gave Chatsworth a 44-38 lead.

Martin Henderson

*

Garfield 66, Taft 49--Brisa Silva scored 12 of her 26 points in the first quarter and Ruth Escalante had 14 points and eight rebounds for fifth-seeded Garfield (22-3). Nikki Johson scored 18 points for Taft (12-12).