Even though the University City Centurions have not done well against the La Jolla Vikings recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. University City snuck past La Jolla with a 58-52 win. Given University City's advantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 177th, while La Jolla is ranked 374th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
University City's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Dylan Griffin, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 11 rebounds. Griffin hasn't dropped below 15points for three straight games. The team also got some help courtesy of Ash Aka, who scored nine points along with five assists and three steals.
La Jolla's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Elijah Vaz, who scored 23 points, and Michael Contreras who scored 16 points along with nine rebounds and two steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Vaz has scored all season. Jackson Diehl was another key contributor, scoring two points along with seven rebounds and three steals.
Even though they lost, La Jolla smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as University City only pulled down seven offensive rebounds.
The win was the fourth in a row for University City, bringing their record for this year to 13-6. As for La Jolla, their loss dropped their record down to 12-8.
University City will be playing at home against Olympian at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. Olympian is looking to tack on another W to their ten-game streak on the road. As for La Jolla, they will take on Canyon Hills at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday.
