Ten games ago the Santa Monica High boys basletball team lost to Etiwanda High.
The Vikings haven’t lost since then. They went to Culver City Friday night and remained undefeated in the Ocean League with a 54-42 victory. Earlier in the week they avenged the loss to Etiwanda and routed Beverly Hills.
Now with a 4-0 league record Samohi is ahead of Inglewood (3-1) and all the others.
“We got off to a great start, then we relaxed and played well only in spurts,” said Coach James Hecht. “I never felt we were going to lose but we weren’t at our best all the time.”
Samohi led comfortably most of the way after scoring the first nine points of the game and demonstrating their athleticism to fans in the packed gymnasium.
Their swarming full-court press led to steals abd a dunking exhibition. Danilo Toscovic dunked, Harry Horn dunked, then Toscovic dunked again.
Samohi led 30-16 at halftime and 48-28 in the third quarter. Culver City closed in a bit in the fourth but a three-pointer by Cory Walker and some uplifting play by reserve Jered Shelton helped keep the lead from dwindling to single digits.
Hecht said the Vikings’ pressing defense was also a factor in the win over Etiwanda. That non-league game was played on Martin Luther King Day at Los Osos High.
Samohi plays in Division 1-A, the highest in the CIF and is ranked ninth. Last season the Vikings reached the playoff semi-finals.
Mitch Chortkoff
Mirror Sports Editorsports@smmirror.com
