Pali High Hoops Teams Net League Wins

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Western League play resumed last week, and the Palisades Charter High School boys basketball team started the new year with back-to-back victories that boosted the Dolphins’ confidence after having endured a rough December in which they lost seven of nine games.

On January 10, Palisades held off visiting LACES, 63-60, thanks to Mikal Sims Dickerson, who scored the last of his 14 points on a layup off an inbounds pass with 10 seconds left to break a 60-60 tie with 10.2 seconds left. After Ryan Conner missed a go-ahead three-pointer for the Unicorns, Mo Butler was fouled with .5 seconds left and made the second of two foul shots to provide the final margin.

The highlight of the game was an alley-oop pass from Butler to Aten Hassan for a dunk that gave the Dolphins a 57-52 lead with 2:15 left. LACES was playing without two starters, including injured top scorer Donovan Cornelius.

Wyatt Junger and Hassan each had nine points, Jordan Farhadian had eight, and Butler, Lukas Haas, and Jack Levey each finished with six for the Dolphins, who nearly let a double-digit lead slip away in the last six minutes. Joshua Sangster scored 24 for LACES.

Two nights later the boys were back in action against visiting Fairfax, and this time it was the Dolphins who trailed for most of the contest before outscoring the Lions, 17-3, in the fourth quarter to prevail, 51-42. Farhadian scored 12 points, Hassan had 10, Butler had nine, Sims Dickerson had eight and Eli Levi added six as Palisades improved to 3-2 in league. Jaden Depina led the Lions with 17 points.

On Saturday, January 13, Palisades took on highly ranked Village Christian at Fairfax High and lost, 93-58. On Monday, January 15, the Dolphins beat Antelope Valley, 75-40, in the MLK Day Classic at Grant High to improve to 5-12. They wrapped up the first round of league Wednesday, January 17, at Hamilton and start the second half Friday night, January 19, at Westchester before returning home for an intersectional duel with Agoura on Saturday afternoon, January 20.

Meanwhile, the Pali High girls rallied late to edge LACES, 53-50, thanks to 15 points and 15 rebounds by Aniah Bradley. Jennica Essapour had nine points and Riley Oku added eight. On January 12, the girls won, 61-48, at Fairfax paced by Elly Tierney, who scored 16 points.

On Saturday, January 13, the Dolphins traveled south to face Redondo Union and had no answer for Sea Hawks center Ella Zimmerman, who recorded a career-high 38 points on 12 of 16 shooting from the field, and added 13 rebounds, five steals, three assists and a block. The University of Portland-commit scored 20 of her team’s 29 points in the first half. Alyssa Ramirez had eight to lead Palisades.

This a crucial week for the Dolphins (13-7), who host back-to-back games versus league frontrunners Hamilton and Westchester with a chance to climb to the top of the standings.