Preparing for the Postseason

Pali High Boys Basketball Falls to Hamilton; Girls Continue Western League Winning Streak 

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor 

Heading into the last week of the regular season, the Palisades High boys basketball team wanted to build momentum for the playoffs.

Back-to-back victories over University and Venice last week had the Dolphins feeling confident Monday against Hamilton. After all, they had routed the Yankees by 40 points in the teams’ previous meeting.

The rematch, however, proved to be a much different story. After leading by one point after each of the first three quarters, the Dolphins were outscored 22-13 in the fourth and lost 57-49, dropping into a tie for fourth with the Yankees with two games left in Western League play.

“Every game is different and I told the guys that [40-point blowout] wasn’t going to happen again,” Pali High head coach Donzell Hayes said. “This game was more how I expected the last game to go – close the whole way. We’re a team that can’t stand prosperity. Sometimes we get away from doing what works and it cost us tonight.”

Louis Walker had 24 points for Hamilton and Will Johnson scored 19 for Palisades, five days after scoring 21 (including 17 in the fourth quarter) in the Dolphins’ 74-68 victory over Venice.

Johnson’s drive and layup broke a 68-68 tie and another layup put  Palisades ahead by four with 12 seconds left. He then stole an inbounds pass, got fouled and made both free throws as the Dolphins avenged a four-point loss on the Gondos’ home floor.

Palisades hosted Fairfax on Wednesday (result unavailable at press time) and travels to LACES for its league finale Friday night.

While the boys were trying to start a streak of their own, the girls were aiming to extend theirs in the second game of Monday’s day-night doubleheader.

Behind the red-hot shooting of guards Chelsey Gipson and Kayla Merrill-Gillett, the Dolphins raced to a 19-0 lead less than five minutes into the game and were ahead 34-3 by the end of the first quarter.

Merrill-Gillett made five three-pointers and finished with 21 points, Gipson had 15 and Kayla Williams added 13 as Palisades cruised to a 79-19 victory for its its 27th consecutive league win dating back to a 70-37 triumph over the Yankees on Feb. 3, 2014.

Palisades traveled to second-place Fairfax on Wednesday and ends the regular season Friday at home against LACES.

The defending champion Dolphins are expected to be one of eight teams selected for the City Section Open Division playoffs. Seedings will be determined Saturday.