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Best In The West Day One: Game No. 11
Clovis West Wins Over LA Jordan--(Dec. 27, 1998)

Clovis West  82,  LA Jordan 66

This game wasn't as close as the score looks, and a 16 point win isn't really close, so you know just how one-sided this win was.  Clovis West is the same team which beat DeShawn Stevenson (6'-5" Jr. SG/SF) and Fresno Washington Union in the Buchannan Tournament, and they also beat Fresno Edison and several other teams already this year, and they could be one of the teams to be in Division III in State this year.  They didn't look particularly physically overwhelming yesterday, but they played exceptionally well as a team and have great execution, and their big guys can outlet the ball to the guards downcourt better than any other team we saw yesterday, and we'd say about half the points came off transition baskets and quick fast breaks.   They've got Ash Knowlton (5'-11" Sr. PG) one of the best true points in California this year, who racked up 18 points, including three three-pointers.  Ash distributes the ball, pushes the break and runs the floor about as well as anyone playing point guard in this tournament.  He's not as quick as a Wesley Stokes, but he's just as good a passer and distributes the ball about as well.  Chris Hernandez (6'-1" So. G) had 14 points, while Charlie Rodriguez, who is definitely not 6'-7" or 6'-8" like we'd been led to believe from earlier newspaper accounts in Fresno, but is listed in the program at 6'-5" and that's generous, hit for 10 points as did Pat Steel (6'-3" Sr. G).

Just about every other Clovis West player scored:  Eric Norcross (6'-3" Jr. G) had 4, Dion Aye (6'-3" Sr. G) had 5, Anthony Aiello (6'-2" Jr. G) had 4, Brad Hertel (6'-2" Sr. G) had 2, Kaleb Adams (6'-2" Sr. G) had 6, Kevin Hayashi (6'-0" Jr. G) had 2, Matt Avedikian (6'-2" Jr. G) had 4, and Nicolas Cazier (6'-6" Jr. F/C) had 2.

LA Jordan has some athletes and some really good players, like Tyrone Riley (6'-6" Jr. F) who was the game's high scorer with 26 points, and Kevin Patton (6'-6" Sr. F) who scored 15, or even Virgil Kennerly (6'-4" Sr. F) who had 11, but from there only three other players managed to score, and each of them only had two points each:  Larry Carter (6'-0" Sr. G), David Jackson (6'-5" Sr. F), and Byron Champbers (6'-1" Sr. G).

Here's the scoring by quarters:

Jordan 19 9 10 26
CW 12 27 31 12

Clovis West moves on in the winner's half of the bracket and will face Ayala on Monday at 11:30 in the East Gym at Long Beach State (Game No. 30).   Jordan will meet Hanford in the loser's bracket on Monday at Lakewood High at 5:45 p.m. in Game 22. 

The Swish Award
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