LOS ANGELES – Lake Balboa High’s basketball team may just 15-14.
But Coach Nicholas Halic’s Patriots are just a Saturday win away from a trip to Sacramento and a spot in the State Division II championship game next week.
Led by the all-around play of 6-foot-5 Devonaire Doutrive and the low-post dominance of 6-11 junior Christian Koloko (PICTURED), the Patriots held on to edge the host and top seed Brentwood School Eagles Tuesday night, 48-43.
The Patriots will take on Shareef O’Neal-led Crossroads – the No. 2 seed in the Southern Regional – Saturday for the regional title.
The Eagles of Coach Ryan Bailey (26-8), who earned their top seed after beating Gold Coast League opponent in the Southern Section’s 2AA championship game at Azusa Pacific University on March 3, took an 11-4 lead with less than a minute to go in the first quarter.
But reserve Jalen Bolden closed the quarter with a 3 and a drive at the buzzer to get the Patriots to within two points going into the second quarter.
And, after one of Koloko;’s eventual four blocked shots to start the second quarter, Doutrive scored in transition while being fouled and knocked in the free throw to complete the “And 1!”.
The Eagles ever-so-briefly went back in front after a Brett Polson bucket but the Patriots went on a Doutrive-sparked 10-zip run and never again trailed.
But that lead became ever-so-precarious in the second half.
Doutrive had picked up two first-half fouls while attempting to check Brentwood’s best player, 6-6 Braelee Albert.
He was called for his third foul – via a charge – two minutes into the third quarter.
And then “bad” went to “worse” for Doutrive and the Patriots when he was caught inadvertently tripping Albert on a drive with 5:43 to go and his team up, 27-23.
Doutrive went to the bench but his team actually extended its advantage while he was serving as a cheerleader/assistant coach of sorts and was up, 34-28, as Doutrive was back on the floor to start the fourth quarter.
“I told the guys (after Doutrive got his fourth foul) to just ‘buy us some time’ while he was on the bench,” Halic said.
And Koloko – who didn’t become eligible until the team’s Jan. 6 game against Camarillo in the Real Run Winter Classic at Lynwood High – more than held up his end of the bargain with his coach.
He scored five points with four rebounds, two assists and a blocked shot in the third quarter and continued his strong play over the final eight minutes to finish with 14 points (despite missing eight of 10 free throws) and 13 rebounds to go with his four blocked shots and two assists.
“He really showed up for us tonight,” Halic said.
Doutrive, who finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals despite his extended third-quarter absence), agreed.
“He’s made so much progress and gotten so much more aggressive (since January),” the heavily-recruited (Utah, Oregon and Arizona are strong with him) Doutrive said.
On a night when the Eagles’ jump shooters struggled to get much open space against the Birmingham defense, the rapidly improving Albert did his best to get his team to the regional final.
Despite playing on a wobbly ankle (incurred during Brentwood’s second-round win over Muir Saturday night), Albert finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
He’ll be one of the standouts for “The Truth” squad on the Nike/EYBL spring and summer circuit.
Halic’s team was the No. 8 seed – among eight teams – in the L.A. City Open Division playoffs, losing a first-round game at eventual championship Westchester and a consolation contest at Narbonne before being put into D-II for the Southern Regional competition.
He hopes there will be two reasons to celebrate after his team’s regional final Saturday.
“Saturday is my mom’s birthday,” he said excitedly afterward.
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