Los Angeles Has the Depth to Sink Rivals

NORTH HOLLYWOOD —  North Hollywood High had one flickering hope: Maybe Los Angeles High hadn’t heard about Keron Wilkerson.

“Hopefully, they don’t know who he is,” Huskies’ Coach Rob Bloom said before the game.

The Romans didn’t--Wilkerson scored 25 points--but it didn’t really matter.

Los Angeles defeated North Hollywood, 82-65, in a first-round game of the City Section 4-A Division boys’ basketball playoffs Friday night.

Wilkerson sparked the Huskies to a third-quarter rally, but fifth-seeded Los Angeles was too deep and too skilled for North Hollywood.

The Romans’ high-flying offense also was careful with the ball, committing only four turnovers.

Los Angeles (19-7) was seeded higher, but No. 12 North Hollywood (18-9) was the host because it won the East Valley League, while the Romans finished second to top-seeded Westchester in the Western League. Rules mandate that only league champions can host first-round games.

No matter. Los Angeles felt right at home.

The Romans’ Leroy Dawson (22 points), Deon Green (19 points) and Devin Hicks (17 points), all of whom could score inside or outside, made the difference.

“They’re going to put up 60 points for me every game, which means that the other team will have to put up 85 or 90 to beat us,” said John Brooker, Los Angeles’ co-coach.

North Hollywood, already undermanned because forward Jonathan Hicks was out because of a sprained left ankle, was hurt because of a lack of scoring down low.

The Huskies battled back from a 50-34 deficit midway through the third quarter thanks to sharp shooting from behind the three-point stripe.

Wilkerson made three three-point shots for the Huksies, who closed to within 54-50 on a banked three-point shot by Wilkerson with 1:07 left in the third quarter.

But Los Angeles closed out the quarter with seven consecutive points for a 61-50 lead, and the Huskies never got close again.

“I wanted to keep [the season] going and shock a lot of people, but it didn’t happen that way,” said Wilkerson. “This hurts a lot.”

Said Bloom: “We got caught up in their style. We can run with anybody in spurts, but when you’re up against a team with shooters and athletes like that, it’s a different level.” DeJon Lee scored 27 points for North Hollywood. Los Angeles will play fourth-seeded Crenshaw in the quarterfinals Wednesday.