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Santee gets defensive to win Southern League championship

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I was at Santee High in Los Angeles this afternoon to watch the Falcons try to clinch the Southern League boys’ basketball title against West Adams Prep and I was treated to some of the finest defense I’ve seen all season. Not only did Coach Curtis Hughes’ crew win its final regular-season home game in dominating fashion -- the scoreboard read 77-38 at the end -- but the Falcons proved they are serious contenders for the City Invitational crown.

By my count, Santee forced 23 turnovers that led to 13 transition baskets. The Falcons used a 27-point barrage to pull away in the second quarter, capped by junior Willie Crenshaw’s three-pointer at the buzzer for a commanding 38-14 lead. Crenshaw scored 11 points and was one of eight Falcons with six points or more.

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‘We’re looking to go all the way,’ Crenshaw said. ‘We prefer an up-tempo style and that’s how we played.’

Falcons’ top scorer, 6-6 center Josh Chatman, won the battle of the big men against Panthers’ 6-7 sophomore Ed Lopez. He finished with 15 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, four steals and two blocks. Lopez had four points, six rebounds, three assists and one block.

‘Last time he defended me pretty good,’ Chatman said of Lopez. ‘This time I used my quickness to pump fake and go around him.’

Santee has won nine in a row, 14 of its last 15, and finishes with road games at Elizabeth Learning Center on Wednesday and Hollywood on Friday.

-- Steve Galluzzo

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