2 of 3 Claim Victory in State Championships : Serra Captures 1st Title in 67-44 Win

OAKLAND —  So, how does Serra High’s basketball team plan to celebrate after winning its first state championship?

“The principal said we’re going to Disneyland,” Cavalier center Akeli Jackson said.

That figures. After all, Serra’s performance in the State Division IV final could have been scripted in Fantasyland. The Cavaliers were never threatened Friday night in a convincing 67-44 victory over Palma of Salinas at the Oakland Coliseum Arena.

“The whole night was one of those nights you dream of,” Serra point guard Alex Davis said.

Davis’ last basket typified how things went for the Cavaliers. His intended alley-oop pass to teammate Michael Boyd landed in the basket for a three-point shot, giving Serra its biggest lead of the game, 58-25, early in the fourth quarter.

“It was like nothing could go wrong,” Coach Dwan Hurt said.

The same could be said for the last two months of Serra’s season. The Cavaliers (26-7) finished with an 18-game winning streak and dominated all but one of their postseason opponents. A 67-65 victory over San Diego Lincoln in the Southern regional final last week was Serra’s only test since playing a demanding non-league and tournament schedule back in December.

Palma (21-12), the 1992 State Division IV champion, was simply no match for the taller, more athletic Cavaliers.

“They dominated us in every phase of the game,” Palma Coach Greg Scattini said. “We won some big games to get here, but today we were just outmatched. They’re the best team we faced.”

Palma’s players paid tribute to Serra by applauding the Cavaliers when they entered the postgame interview room. Serra returned the courtesy when Palma’s players exited.

“I watched Palma play in the state championship last year, and I thought it would be a little closer than it was,” said Hurt, whose five-year record at Serra stands at 78-72.

But it was never close. Palma, which had hoped for a slow-paced, low-scoring game, fell behind, 11-2, in the first three minutes nine seconds. From there, Serra gradually pulled away until Hurt was afforded the luxury of emptying his bench with 5:47 left to play.

“I thought the first five minutes of the ball game would be very important, and they really took it to us right away,” Scattini said. “We were outmatched from the beginning, and that may have been where we lost the game. We just ran into a buzz saw.”

Palma shot only 27.1% from the field and committed 19 turnovers. None of the Chieftains scored in double figures.

Serra shot 50% and came up with 15 steals from its pressure defense. The Cavaliers outrebounded Palma, 36-23.

Boyd, a 6-foot-5 senior forward, led four Serra players in double figures with 15 points. Davis, a mid-season transfer from St. Monica, had 11 points and four steals. The 6-8 Jackson, who will play for Cal State Long Beach next year, had 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, and guard Roderick Swift scored 10.

Nervous before the game, Hurt said it didn’t take long for him to feel at ease.

“I felt comfortable about two minutes into the game,” he said. “That’s when I really relaxed. I knew we were going to go out and do a good job.”

Considering that most of Serra’s playoff victories were blowouts, Hurt was asked if he would have liked to have played more competitive games in the postseason.

“It’s good to win that big, but I think I would have liked a little more drama,” he said. “But I take a look at this program in the last three years, and we’ve gone through our drama. We deserve a break.”

Serra got a taste of the state tournament last season, losing in the regional. Since that day, Jackson said it has been the team’s goal to win the state championship.

“This whole year, we were focused,” Jackson said. “If we didn’t win state, it would have been a lost season.”