After experiencing the agony of defeat all preseason long the Avalon boys varsity basketball team finally experienced the thrill of victory in their league opener, on Thursday, Jan. 11 against Bethel Baptist.
The Lancers easily outmatched the Warriors, unleashing much of the frustration that had built up throughout the preseason. By the end of the 1st quarter they had a 31-4 advantage and they never looked back, achieving their first victory of the season by a final score of 75-13. Senior Captain Darren Hall led the onslaught with 20 points and 10 steals. He was all over the court. His two partners in crime, Junior Jacob Mello, and Sophomore Nate Jones added 14 and 12 points respectively. Senior David Talsky came off the bench to add 9 points to the cause as well.
The following day the Lancers boarded the Catalina Express and were off to Village Bible Church, in Garden Grove. They went there to face longtime league rival Acaciawood. The Lancers built a nice 13-point lead in the first three quarters behind the outstanding play of Jacob Mello, Nate Jones, and Nalu Machado-Martin. Unfortunately, Avalon let down their guard in the 4th quarter and allowed the Golden Eagles back in the game. Acaciawood outscored Avalon 30-12 in the quarter and emerged victorious by a score of 70-65 in a game for the ages. Even though Avalon lost the game, they looked like a much-improved team, ready to compete for a playoff spot in the 2024 Express League.
The next day would give the Lancers another chance to prove their worth, on the road again, this time against Anaheim Discovery, last year’s 2nd Place team in league competition. The Lancers came ready to play and jumped out to a 20-11 first quarter lead and then had a 39-26 halftime advantage. They continued their quality play in the second half and came away with a 63-45 victory, putting themselves right in the middle of the playoff picture. Jacob Mello led all scorers with 20 points, while Darren Hall added 13 points to the cause, and Nate Jones contributed 11.
The Lancers next game was on Monday, Jan. 15, MLK Day. The Lancers faced Eastside Christian in another league game. The Eagles were outmanned from the beginning. Jacob Mello came out on fire scoring 15 points in the first quarter. Aaron Castro and David Talsky took charge of the second quarter, while Darren Hall and Nate Jones provided the third quarter punch, and finally Cole Konigsmark took the game into his hands, scoring 9 points in the fourth quarter. The final score was Avalon 77 and Eastside Christian 16.
The Lancers are now 3-1 in league play and next will face defending league champion Southlands Christian in a doubleheader at home this Saturday, January 20, at noon and 2:30 p.m. Come on up and support your local high school hoopsters as they make a run for the 2024 CIF-SS Playoffs.
