Long before Leaf suffered a separated shoulder that sent him to a local hospital for X-rays after the Knights dropped a 74-71 overtime loss to San Diego Hoover, the 6-foot-2 senior swished a three-pointer just 78 seconds into the contest.
That bucket lifted Leaf past previous section scoring leader Tyrone Shelley, who tallied 2,962 points as a four-year starter (Christian/Crawford from 2004-07).
Leaf finished with 21 points, raising his record-breaking career account to 2,982 points with a genuine opportunity to become only the sixth player in the state to break the 3,000-point barrier.
A postgame examination revealed the injury to Leaf’s left shoulder as "not serious." The only setback is that Leaf will have that arm in a sling for 10 days, which means he will miss three or four games against hapless Citrus South League opponents.
To hold the scoring record in the San Diego Section is a big deal. Remember now, longtime NBA superstar Bill Walton played in this section (Helix, 1968-70).
La Costa Canyon’s Chase Budinger, who ranks third on the CIF-SDS career scoring tables (2,934 points), was a standout at the University of Arizona and now is toiling for the Houston Rockets.
Then there is Tony Clark, who stands fifth on the CIF-SDS scoring list with 2,549 points and owns the section’s top season scoring average of 43.1 points per game as a senior. However, the 6-8 Clark, who sampled college basketball at Arizona and San Diego State, went on to gain his fame in professional baseball with a 15-year career as a home run hitter.
"Sure, I’m happy to break the record," said Leaf. "But I wish it would have come in a better situation (a win rather than a loss against Hoover)."
Here is a further breakdown on Leaf’s statistical career: 238 three-pointers, 494-of-626 (80.4 percent) on free throws, 530 assists, 199 blocks and 333 steals.
"Like I’ve said all along, our goal is to win state (as in the Division V championship)," Leaf said.
More basketball: Bishop Gorman’s Ellenberg lights up Mount Miguel
Bishop Gorman point guard Aaryn Ellenberg, a 5-8 senior, scored 41 points as the Gaels dealt Spring Valley Mount Miguel its first loss 72-60. Ellenberg, who has a scholarship to Oklahoma in hand, tallied 14 points in Bishop Gorman’s opening quarter, which produced a 24-8 lead.
"She was locked in – completely in a zone," said Mount Miguel coach Robbie Sandoval. "She owned us."
Nevada’s No. 2-ranked Bishop Gorman (11-5), which has played a number of nationally ranked teams, led the Matadors by as many as 25 points at one stretch.
Here’s the oddity: The Gaels lost to San Diego Bishop’s 75-47, 10 days after Mount Miguel belted Bishop’s 83-47.
"That was a whole different deal," Sandoval said. "When Bishop Gorman played Bishop’s, Ellenberg was injured and played only half the game. And their post player, who scored 18 points against us, didn’t even play against Bishop’s.
"Not to make excuses, but Bishop Gorman was a different team when Bishop’s played them than when we played them."
Mount Miguel (17-1) rebounded to bury Las Vegas Foothill 79-34 in Monday’s final day of the Bishop Gorman Elite Showcase.
Other top performances
— Rancho Bernardo senior Jonathan Beck won the title in the 171-pound class with a 5-2 win over Livermore Granada’s Brian Engdahl at Fountain Valley. As a precursor to the state meet, Beck completed a two-day tourney run that included three technical falls and a pin to reach the final.
— Sophomore Jason Gaines of El Cajon Granite Hills scored 30 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, blocked four shots and dealt five assists in the Eagles’ 77-59 win over Santee West Hills.
— Marshall Thrasher of Ramona won the 218-pound title at the Mission Hills Tournament with a pin in seven seconds, and was named the tournament's outstanding heavyweight wrestler.
Angelo Chol, Hoover
File photo by Kirt Winter
— San Diego Hoover’s Angelo Chol contributed 15 points, 14 rebounds and blocked eight shots in the Cardinals' 74-71 overtime victory over Foothills Christian in the finals of the San Diego Elite Eight Showcase.
— Jvonte Brooks of Foothills Christian racked up 21 points and 17 rebounds in the Knights’ overtime loss to San Diego Hoover.
— Six-foot-4 La Costa Canyon junior Madisen Irwin netted 14 points in a 57-43 win over Rancho Bernardo, and followed with 29 points in a 70-45 romp over Rancho Buena Vista.
— Foothills Christian’s Kalob Hatcher, who has started all 115 games in his four-year career, was 6-for-12 from 3-point range as he scored 20 points in the Knights loss to CIF-SDS top-ranked Hoover.
Coming attractions
The game of the week in the CIF-SDS is an Eastern League boys basketball showdown between top-ranked Hoover (15-4, 2-0) and rival Morse (15-5, 2-0) on Friday. In boys Central League action, Coronado (14-4, 4-0) takes on El Cajon Christian (15-2, 3-0), also on Friday.
Dickens dealings
One of the challenges of basketball referees is delivering clear, crisp signals after a foul has been committed. Showing half-closed hands and flashing fingers only confuses the scoring table.
This is not an exercise in sleight-of-hand. It’s not a magic show, nor is it a race to show how fast you can deliver the goods.
Take your time. Be clear. The idea, after all, is to communicate.
Kudos to the many officials who deliver their signals so there is no confusion. And a plea to those that don’t: Please rethink your performance! There are no style points awarded for officials’ artistry.
I’m sure to some of the veteran officials this sounds elementary. But more often than not the people at the scoring table have one-fifth – or less – experience than the striped shirts on the court.
Perhaps, the officials should be required to use two hands when signaling a foul to the scoring table. Scorekeepers should not have to guess. Considering that jersey numbers higher than a 5 or a combination of 5s are not permitted, it is entirely feasible to use this system.
To do this would probably eliminate the majority of discrepancies that seem to develop late in the game when a player fouls out or when the individual scorers have conflicting totals. Sure, the easy way is to leave it up to the home team scorekeeper. That solves nothing and places blame.
Your thoughts?
