by Michael Guardabascio 

This game had all the potential to be a classic heavyweight fight, between two teams who have seen an awful lot of each other around this time of year.  In fact, Poly and Lynwood meet in the semis or the finals of the girls’ CIF playoffs so often that fans in both cities have taken to making notes to themselves when they open new calendars at the start of each year.  The game also had all the potential to be terribly awkward for me, as my wife and I are both Poly grads, but attended the game with my father-in-law, who coaches Tennis at Lynwood.  Coming in, Poly had the higher seed, and the more complete roster, but Lynwood’s been elevated by the play of freshman phenom Sheila Boykins, a 6’2″ juggernaut who was averaging 15 points and ten rebounds per game coming into Tuesday’s battle in the rocking LBCC gym.

Poly coach Carl Buggs leads his team to yet another victory on the season.

Alas, potential ain’t what it used to be.  Poly came out in full force, dominating Lynwood completely in a physical match that favored the Rabbits’ size and experience.  Jasmine Dixon, Poly’s leading scorer and MVP, put up 13 points and pulled down ten boards; in other words, an average game for her.  It was Monique Oliver’s defense that set the tempo for the rest of the team though, as she shut Boykins down from the start, holding the young star to one bucket in the first, and only another 2 points in the second quarter, on what was literally the only time she touched the ball all quarter.  Boykins threw in 5 points in the last few minutes (while Oliver was taking a well earned rest) to pad her stats to a respectable nine points.  Poly used the size and physicality of Oliver and Dixon to keep Boykins and Shaylese Shofner, Lynwood’s second-best scoring threat, on their heels.

Then, while their tall girls were blocking out and beating up Lynwood’s forwards and center, their guards sliced and diced the Lynwood press, finding good penetration and moving the ball effectively.  April Cook, a starting senior guard, chipped in 8 points, while freshman guard Ariya Crook-Williams proved she’s going to be a treat to watch for the next several years, with the wheels to blow through Lynwood’s tight press all by herself.  All in all, Poly moved the ball well, kept Lynwood from getting any good looks (they missed most of the scant few they got), and shot pretty well from the field.  They played far from a perfect game—missing a lot of easy lay-ins—but you wouldn’t have known it from the scoreboard.  At the end of the first, it was still respectable, but Poly had pulled away by the end of the half, taking a 32-11 lead (on the strength of an 18-5 second quarter) into the locker room.  By the end of the third it was 51-17, Poly’s starters (and some of the second string as well) were on the bench, and Lynwood’s season was at an end.  Lynwood piled on a few garbage points, but the game’s final 57-32 score doesn’t reflect the domination so evident on the court.  To do the math for you: in the first quarter, Poly outscored Lynwood 14-6, 18-5 in the second, and 19-6 in the third.  Before Lynwood’s late run in the fourth, the Rabbits were toying with tripling the Lady Knights’ score.

I was expecting more of a fight from Lynwood, but Poly stayed focused, physical, and fast, playing a great game while leaving room to improve next week.  After the game, Poly’s Coach Buggs said confidently, “We don’t care who comes along next.”  Well, it looks like that will be Millikan, after they came back in the fourth to steal a 49-43 win from Ventura.  That will mean the CIF championship will feature two Long Beach teams, and it will be the epic third meeting of Poly and Millikan, with the Rabbits and Rams splitting the first two, each taking a win at the other’s home floor.  This Saturday’s matchup will be on neutral territory, in the Pyramid, making it a true Showdown at the Beach, as two Long Beach high schools compete for supremacy inside the big blue Dorito.  It has the potential to be historic, and if you saw either of the other two games they played this year, you’re probably expecting it to be.  But after tonight’s game, I’m reminded not to put too much stock in potential.