FALCONSMAKEBIG STATEMENTINSHOWCASE VS. PARKER

BY JOHNMAFFEI Torrey Pines 74, Parker 57

Withone weekof league play remainingbefore the playoffmeeting,Saturday’s seven-gameBattleofthe

Bayserved as a seedings showcase.

And No.3 Torrey Pines made a statementatMisisonBayHigh,beating No.8

FrancisParker 74-57.

Currently seeded No.5 by MaxPrepsin theeight-team OpenDivision field,the defending champion Falcons (19-5) figure to jumpupas highas No 3, barringanything crazy.

“We want to winitall again,”saidOtto Landrum, TorreyPines’6-foot-9center, whois committed to Boston University “We want to make to the finalsfour yearsin a row.

“We’ve hadsome really bigwinson the road,but we play really wellat home, shoot really wellathome.

“And I think we have the beststudentsectioninthe county. That’s why we push ourselvesinpractice, push ourselvesin games.”

Landrum finishedthe nightwith 15 points, 13 rebounds and blocked three shots.

Senior guard LoganHuston had a careernightforthe Falconswith 33 points 28 inthesecondhalf. “Finallycrackedthe 30 mark,”saidHuston,who av- erages 13.2points a game.

“Francis Parker is a really good team, very athletic. But we had a sizeadvantage, and the way theyplaydefense, I thoughtI mighthave agoodnight. I thoughtI couldspinoffthepick-androllsand get to thehole.”

TorreyPinesled 38-37 midway through the third quarter then wentona 23-5 run to open a 19-pointadvantage.

“Honestly last week we were a littleoffinpractice,” Hustonsaid.“Withtheplayoffs coming, we decided to bringsomeenergy andsee whathappens.”

FrancisParker, which playswith five guards,has to bringenergy, andthe Lancersdid.

But they couldn’tmatch the6-9 Landrum,plus6-6 EdenPennand6-5 Zachary Jackson.

“Thebigkid(Landrum) isn’t just big,heplayswitha fire in hisbelly,”saidParker coach Jim Tomey “We have to make shots, we have to guard and we have to rebound to playwiththem.”

TorreyPinesheld a 39-17 rebounding edge.

“Rightnow, we’re onthe bubble(sitting No 9)inthe OpenDivision,” Tomey said. “That’s where wewant to be.”

Camden McCormickled Parker with 28pointsand hadseven rebounds JJ Bartelloni had 14 pointsfor TorreyPineswhile Pennhadeight rebounds and Jacksonseven. Inother games:

No.7 MissionBay69, Mater DeiCatholic 51: Gelo GilledMissionBaywith 23 pointsandThomas Metcalf added 18 astheBucsuseda big third-quarter run to pull away KJ Gonzalezand Kris Gonzalezeach had 15 for Mater DeiCatholic.

No.4 MissionHills 64, San Diego 48: Caleb Hofmeister finishedwitha game-high20points,includingsix3-pointers fourina row inthesecondquarter— to leadMissionHills. Jayden White added 17 forthe Grizzlies and Justin White had 13 Kyle Neffledall rebounderswitheight Jayden Wade andBaron Noble each had 10 pointsforSanDiego.

No.9 Cathedral Catholic 58, La JollaCountry Day 44: Shea Fitzgerald ofCathedralledallscorers with 19 points,while Jaden Label added 14 pointsand 13 rebounds.AnthonyArfulloled LJCDwith 13 LJCD was outrebounded 42-21 and scored justthree pointsina 15-minute stretch fromthe firstquarter to thethird. No 10 Carlsbad 64, Santa Fe Christian 48: Carlsbadled40-20atthehalf andsubstituted freelyinthe secondhalf. Jake Hallled Carlsbadwith 13 while Tony Duckett had 12 and Mason Bowers 11 DanielGreathouseledSFCwith 12 and Brycen Mackenzie added 11 john.maffei@sduniontribune