Pali High Basketball Beats Hamilton

Playing his final regular season home game brought out the best in Palisades High center Ari Sallus Monday at the Dolphins’ gym.

Sallus was named City Section Division I Offensive Lineman of the Year in football and he will play at UC Davis next fall, but the six-foot-4, 255-pounder also plays basketball and displayed the agility of a guard when he dove to the floor to grab a loose ball and start a fast break that ended with a three-pointer by Will Janney (who was an All-City safety in football) late in the first quarter of Palisades’ 52-48 Western League victory over Hamilton on Senior Night.

Nick Kerkorian scored 15 points with three steals, Anthony Spencer had 10 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals and Graham Alphson added 13 points (including three three-pointers), four rebounds and seven blocks as Palisades won for the second time in three games.

Cole Jacobs had eight points, fellow senior Avi Massaband had one basket and Janney pulled down five rebounds.

The win eased the pain of a 48-point loss to Fairfax last Friday in which the Dolphins were held to nine points in the second half.

Last Wednesday, the Dolphins got their biggest road win of the season, rallying from 10 points down with two minutes remaining in regulation to beat LACES 66-64 in overtime.

Kerkorian had 21 points and five rebounds and hit the game-winning three-pointer with three seconds left in overtime. Spencer added 19 points and five assists and tied the score on a driving layup with two seconds left in the fourth quarter. Janney had 12 points and Jacobs added nine. Palisades wraps up league play Friday night at University.