Give and Go

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

When Drew Kerkorian sank a baseline jumper at the buzzer to force overtime last Saturday in the Harvey Kitani Classic at Fairfax High the Palisades High boys basketball team seemed poised for an upset. After all, the Dolphins erased a nine-point deficit with two and a half minutes to go in regulation, then forged a 49-46 lead over Anaheim Servite with 13 seconds left in the first extra session. Coach Donzell Hayes implored his players not to allow a three-pointer but they did and the shot found the bottom of the net before time expired. In the second overtime period Palisades was outscored 11-1 and lost 60-50, dropping its record  to 8-11. Avery Lee led all scorers with 30 points.

The night before, Palisades found itself locked in a tense, low-scoring struggle at league rival LACES. The Dolphins trailed by eight at halftime but led by Lee’s 17 points they escaped 41-39 when a potential game-tying layup by Unicorns star guard Donovan Cornelius rolled off the rim.   

Meanwhile, the Pali High girls suffered three close nonleague defeats, falling 43-40 to Shalhevet at Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) last Tuesday; losing 68-57 on its home floor to Liberty of Henderson, Nevada on Saturday; and being edged 49-43 by Hacienda Heights Los Altos in the Beverly Hills Showcase on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Dolphins beat Western League rival LACES 41-35 on Friday and hosted last-place Fairfax on Wednesday. They will travel east to take on Hamilton tomorrow afternoon (tip-off at 4:30) in the first of two key contests against Hamilton that could prove to be a factor in playoff seeding at season’s end. Westchester, which beat Palisades by 26 points in the teams’ first league meeting Dec. 7, was dealt its first loss of the season Monday by Bonita Vista but the Comets remain the team to beat in the City Section. Palisades plays at Westchester on Monday to open the second round of league play.

Taylor Arnold had 20 points and 14 rebounds and twin sister Elise added 11 points in the victory over LACES. Taylor Arnold had 12 points, eight rebounds and six steals and Brooke Shibata added 11 points against Liberty. Elise Arnold sprained an ankle in the second half and did not return.

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