Sylmar Can’t Guard Against North Hollywood Backcourt : High school basketball: Thompson holds his own against Ollie, but Johnson and Lee lead Huskies to 86-60 victory.
SYLMAR — Sylmar High center Lamarr Thompson came out ahead in the statistical battle with North Hollywood’s Damon Ollie, but guards Fantasia Johnson and Arthur Lee helped North Hollywood win the war Thursday with an 86-60 victory in a Valley Pac-8 Conference basketball game.
Ollie, who leads the area’s City Section players with averages of 20.9 points and 19.1 rebounds per game, collected 17 points and 12 rebounds. Thompson outdid Ollie by scoring 22 points and grabbing 17 rebounds, but he was a one-man team for the Spartans.
“I was able to do what I wanted,†Thompson said. “But I don’t feel anything good right now.â€
The Huskies (17-5, 10-0 in league play) maintained their one-game lead over Grant in the East Valley League and will conclude the regular season by visiting Grant tonight. Despite the loss, Sylmar (13-9, 8-3) clinched the championship of the Mid-Valley League because second-place Poly (7-5 in league play) also lost.
Johnson and Lee led two spurts in the second half that put the game away for North Hollywood.
With North Hollywood clinging to a 35-30 lead early in the second half, Lee led the Huskies on an 11-0 run over the next two minutes. Ollie scored five points during the run and Lee had three steals as the Huskies initiated a full-court press, leading to several baskets.
Lee finished with 22 points, 10 assists and seven steals.
“We had come out a little flat in the first half,†Lee said. “I think the run got us going for the rest of the game and our shots began falling.â€
After the first run, the Spartans stayed with the Huskies, trailing, 60-48, with little more than five minutes left in the game, but the Huskies went on a 14-0 tear to put the game away.
Johnson scored eight of his 20 points in the final quarter and finished with 12 assists.
Terry Smith-Harris came off the bench and scored seven of his 10 points in the first four minutes of the final quarter.
North Hollywood connected on 12 of its first 13 shots in the fourth quarter, missing only a three-pointer until the starters were pulled with little more than two minutes left in the game.
Going into the fourth quarter, the Huskies were shooting 35% from the field but finished at 49% (35 of 72).
“We were expecting a tough game,†North Hollywood Coach Steve Miller said. “They were 8-2 in the conference coming in and we hadn’t seen them this season. We just did what it took to win in the second half.â€
Lee and Johnson frustrated the Spartans in the backcourt throughout the game, forcing Sylmar into throwing long passes that helped lead to 17 turnovers.
Sylmar shot 34%, making 20 of 59 shots.
Michael Farmer added 13 points for the Spartans, but didn’t help Thompson enough when it counted--hitting a pair of three-pointers during garbage time.
It was the only meeting of the season between the leaders of the East Valley League (North Hollywood) and Mid-Valley League (Sylmar).
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