City Boys’ Prep Basketball Playoffs : Cleveland Gains 4-A Final--Against Crenshaw

This season was supposed to happen last season at Cleveland High School.

The Cavaliers, however, turned 1986 into their year to remember by beating San Pedro, 72-65, Friday night at the Sports Arena to advance to the City 4-A championship game for the first time after plenty of disappointments in four years in the division.

Cleveland (16-7) will play Crenshaw, a 90-82 winner over Carson in the other semifinal, for the title next Friday at the Sports Arena.

The Cavaliers gained the final despite returning only forward Trevor Wilson from the starting lineup of the team that was knocked out in the quarterfinals last season.

“Maybe we’re the Cardiac Kids,” suggested Bob Braswell, Cleveland’s first-year coach. “Nobody expected us to be here, playing for the City title next Friday.”

And nobody can say that the Cavaliers did not earn it.

It was a well-played game by both teams, but Cleveland took control with a 15-2 run at the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth for a 10-point cushion, 60-50. As if to prove again that they are not a one-man team, although probably still a one-name team, the Cavaliers made their move while the UCLA-bound Wilson was on the bench with three fouls.

“No. 21 (Damon Greer) was the key to their game,” San Pedro Coach Jack Kordich said. “He broke our press and made the free throws. . . . That guy made all the difference in the world. When Trevor went out, it seemed like they didn’t even miss him.”

Greer, a 6-1 guard, finished with a team-high 19 points, while Wilson added 18 points and 22 rebounds. Forward Chris Wheeler also came off the bench with 10 points.

San Pedro (16-7) got a strong game from three players--guard Damon Whitsitt, forward Zlatko Josic and center Mike Sestich. Whitsitt, with a great shooting touch from long range, had 23 points to lead all scorers, while Josic chipped in with 19 and Sestich 16.

Crenshaw 90, Carson 82--The top-ranked Cougars (22-2) built up a 50-31 lead at halftime, had it trimmed to six, 76-70, with 3:50 to play and then came back for the win.

Crenshaw, which got a game-high 32 points from Stephen Thompson, is two games shy of its City record, set last year, of scoring 100 points or more in 12 games during the season.

Anthony January had 35 points for Carson (19-7) before fouling out.