WALTER WONG CLASSIC
Crusaders go 3-0 in Wong
In Delbert Tengan's eyes, there's room for improvement.
For Saint Louis faithful, however, there's much to smile about after their Crusaders went 3-0 in the Walter Wong Classic.
Led by the tournament's most valuable player, Jeremiah Masoli, Saint Louis zapped La Jolla Country Day (Calif.) 48-32 last night at McCabe Gym.
The Crusaders were the only team in the six-team event to go unbeaten. That string of three wins included a stunning victory over California's 10th-ranked team, St. Mary's.
Masoli led the way yesterday with 16 points, five rebounds and three assists. The transfer from California committed just one turnover.
"He makes a world of difference. He makes things happen," Saint Louis coach Delbert Tengan said.
Defense was outstanding for the Crusaders, who showed immense depth and size, particularly in the paint.
Jacob Barit, Elliott Purcell, Scott Smith and Jamison Miller -- all 6-foot-3 or taller -- clogged the middle.
Senior swingman Cameron Bayne hit a 3-pointer and added a pair of foul shots during a 10-1 run in the third quarter that broke open a close game.
Bayne finished with nine points as Saint Louis closed nonconference play with a 5-0 record.
Travis Golia and Mark Schu led La Jolla with 11 points each.
One area in need for improvement for the Crusaders is free-throw shooting. After hitting 15 of 22 tries against St. Mary's, they made just 23 of 55 against Schurr and only 10 of 25 against La Jolla.
The All-Classic team is comprised of Cole Shidaki (Saint Louis), Schu (La Jolla), Anthony Simi and Joe Harden (St. Mary's) and Mike Diaz (Schurr).
St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.) 72, Kaiser 30
Joe Harden poured in 12 first-quarter points as the Rams overwhelmed the Cougars.
Harden finished with 18 points, four rebounds and two assists in a little more than one half of action. Anthony Simi added 11 points for the well-balanced Rams.
Andrew Wingert led Kaiser, which went 1-2 in the tourney, with seven points.
St. Mary's won two of its three games in the tournament and improved to 13-1 in nonconference play. The Rams fell to host Saint Louis in a surprise on Tuesday.
"We knew nothing about them, but it would be a pretty good rematch now," St. Mary's coach Ken Green said. "We'd love to play 'em again."
After employing a 1-3-1 zone defense, the Rams switched to a fullcourt press to baffle the Cougars. Kaiser committed seven turnovers in the second quarter as St. Mary's went on a 28-12 blitz.
Schurr (Calif.) 69, Kaimuki 57
Sophomore Alex Valdez scored 18 points as the Rams posted their first win in three games in the tourney.
Valdez, a spunky, lightning-quick guard, made all 10 of his free-throw attempts. He got plenty of help as Schurr's fullcourt press rattled the Bulldogs into 20 turnovers. Center Phil Garcia added 13 points despite reinjuring his left knee in the first half.
Gerame Wong tallied 11 points and Bradley Sasada dished out seven assists for Schurr, which improved to 7-5 in nonconference play.
Guard Daniel Colon scored 16 points to lead Kaimuki. Forward Shaun Dela Cazada added 11 points on 4-for-4 shooting from the field. Keone Reyes added nine points and six rebounds for Kaimuki, which slipped to 7-6 in nonconference games.
The game was a foul fest featuring 75 combined free-throw attempts. Schurr made 21 of 34 tries (62 percent). Kaimuki made 23 of 41 attempts (56 percent).