Around the Rim

Pali High Boys and Girls Basketball Teams Show Potential in Holiday Tournaments

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

The Palisades High boys and girls basketball teams open Western League play this week and both squads are well prepared to contend for first place after participating in tough tournamnents over Winter Break.

The boys finished 3-1 in the Winter Slam Jam, overcoming a seven-point halftime deficit to beat Yeshiva 48-44 at Agoura. Mikal Sims led the way with 15 points and Eli Levi added nine. The next night, Jack Levey’s two-point jumper at the buzzer lifted the Dolphins over El Camino Real 55-54 at Grant. Tommy Pickens had 15 points, Kye Davis had 10, Levey had eight and Aten Hassan and Eli Levi each add six.

In the semifinals against Saugus in Santa Clarita, Pickens scored 16, Hassan and Levey each had 10, Levi had nine, Sims had eight, Davis had six and Devin Carey had three  but the Centurions prevailed 64-62 on a driving layup at the buzzer by Bryce Mejia. Palisades closed the tournament on a high note by outscoring Granada Hills 61-52. Pickens scores 17 points while Levey and Hassan added 10 apiece.

Next up was the SoCal Christmas Classic in Pasadena and Pickens  impressed in the first game, pouring in 30 points as Palisades defeated Crescenta Valley 74-61. Davis had 12, Sims had 11 points, four rebounds and four assists and Levey added 10 points and five rebounds. Alemany got the winning layup with two seconds left to nip the Dolphins 54-52 in the second round of the Platinum Division but one day later Palisades bounced back with a 58-49 triumph over Maranatha. Levey and Sims scored 12 apiece, Pickens had 10 and Carey and Julian Cunningham each added eight. In their final game of the tournament the Dolphins beat Grant 58-47, paced by Levey’s 19 points and six assists, Aten Hassan’s 10 points and eight rebounds and 10 more from Davis.

In its last tune-up before league, Palisades fell to Saugus 61-48 despite   13 points each by Levey and Pickens. At 8-5 entering Monday’s league opener versus University, the Dolphins look like an Open Division team under new coach Jeff Bryant.

Meanwhile, the girls entered league with a 5-6 record after placing fifth at their Westside Classic in early December, going 1-1 at the Burroughs Showcase in Burbank and finishing 1-2 at the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions, losing to Valencia and Buena before topping Oaks Christian 58-47 behind Elly Tierney (22 points) and Alyssa Ramirez (13 points and five steals). Tierney lit up the scoreboard again Saturday, netting a season-high 28 points in a 77-55 rout of Chatsworth at Fairfax. Olivia Lewis had 12 points on four 3-pointers, Ramirez scored 11 points and Ayla Teegardin contributed 10 points and six steals for the Dolphins (5-6), who will battle with Westchester and Hamilton for the league title.