Senior guard Ethan Deng played well, scoring 15 points in his final game as a Titan, but San Marino lost to Pomona in a CIF playoff opener.
Outsized at every position and facing an undefeated conference champion on the road, the San Marino High School boys’ varsity basketball team nevertheless acquitted itself quite well last week, falling to the host Pomona Red Devils, 63-55, in a CIF Southern Section Division 4AA playoff opener.
Guards Ethan Deng and Sean O’Brien led the Titans with 15 points apiece, receiving assistance from Brian Zhang (nine points), Trond Grizzell (six), Joey Fuerst (five), Quintin Hollomand (three) and Brian Lam (two), but it wasn’t enough as the Titans’ season came to an abrupt end Wednesday, Feb. 12.
“We liked our chances with Pomona,” said head coach Mihail Papadopulos. “We felt it was a good matchup for us. But we did not shoot the ball very well and we could not rebound with them. Those were the two biggest factors for us.”
A squad that often thrives on solid outside shooting, San Marino was four for 20 from the three-point line and surrendered 25 offensive rebounds to the Devils. Couple those numbers with the Titans’ 16 turnovers and “We were fortunate to lose by eight,” Papadopulos said.
San Marino pulled to within five points in the third quarter but entered the final stanza with a 41-33 deficit. The Titans got to within three points, but Pomona used its height advantage on the offensive boards to get second-shot opportunities and extend the lead to 52-45 with 2:34 remaining in the contest.
“Statistically, we had a bad night, but we were still close,” said Papadopulos. “That says a lot about our character. But you play good teams in the playoffs and they can make you pay if you make mistakes.”
Pomona won the Valle Vista League championship with a 10-0 record and had the talent to prove it.
“We had the deficit down to five points several times, but they always seemed to find an answer,” said Papadopulos. “We just couldn’t seem to get that extra stop. Pomona was very athletic, but I thought we played very hard against them.”
The coach acknowledged the efforts of senior Deng, who ended his career on a solid effort.
“They put a lot of pressure on our guards and Ethan responded very well,” Papadopulos said. “Sean O’Brien also had a very nice game.”
The Titans ended the season with a 16-12 overall record and a 4-6 mark in the Rio Hondo League that earned them a three-way tie for third place.
The win total “is the most in our tenure here and is nice,” said Papadopulos, who wrapped up his 10th season as head coach. “And to make the playoffs for our ninth consecutive season, we are very proud of that. Those are the positives, and we have a lot of young players coming back. It will be very interesting to see how we can do.”
