Culver City Hoop Squads Lose to Santa Monica

As heartbreaking as a one-point loss can be, how a team responds to such a defeat determines its character. The boys basketball team's character will be revealed in its last three games as Wednesday's 59-58 home loss to Santa Monica will test the Centaurs' resolve.

Santa Monica (9-13 overall, 5-2 in league) arrived at Goodyear Gym with some momentum after beating Ocean League co-leader Inglewood last Friday. Culver City (18-4, 5-2) had beaten the Vikings by eight points in the teams' first meeting.

Santa Monica used intensity to pull away in the second quarter with an 18-1 run, preventing Culver City from making a field goal until the final two minutes of the half when drained back-to-back three-pointers.

“This has been what we’ve done all season,” Culver City coach said. “We play three good quarters and one not-so-good quarter and we try to outweigh the not-so-good quarter with the three good quarters. Tonight, that didn’t happen.”

Horton had 18 points and added 13 for Culver City, who was playing from behind all game but fought back to within one point on 's three-pointer with 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Samo couldn’t hit its free throws in the final minutes, but Culver City missed a jumper to win the game and the Vikings pulled off their second-straight victory over one of the league’s top teams.

Horton scored half of its points in the fourth quarter. Jordan Mathews and Holden Foshag each had 12 for the Vikings.

The Centaur girls fared even worse in the early game, losing 53-30 to the same Santa Monica squad they had beaten on the road in the teams' first meeting. 

In the first meeting, Culver City (13-11, 5-2) lit up the Vikings (17-6, 5-2) from outside, hitting 11 three-point baskets. Santa Monica head coach Marty Verdugo made sure that wouldn’t happen Wednesday, vowing to take away the outside shot and use his team’s height to its advantage.

The strategy worked. The Centaurs didn’t have a field goal in the second quarter and made only two the entire first half. Seven of Culver City's 13 first-half points came at the free throw line.

“We didn’t match their intensity,” Culver City head coach said. “They were hungry. We were not."

Though Culver City did hit three three-pointers early on, all by guard , Santa Monica stifled the Centaurs' shooters for the rest of the game and used its aggressive defense to create offensive opportunities.

“From the way we started the game, we knew we were going to win,” Santa Monica senior guard Moriah Faulk said. “We were playing better defense all-around. We just came out with a lot of intensity.”

Faulk led the the Vikings with 16 points, most of them after offensive rebounds. Neal led Culver City with 14.

Culver City and Santa Monica are now tied for second place in the Ocean League, one game behind Inglewood.