The Culver City High School basketball season started in the wrong direction when the Centaurs were beaten, soundly, by Brentwood 68-38 on the opening day of the Mira Costa Tournament last Monday.

It was the Centaurs’ first game, and they expect to bounce back in the pre-season before Ocean League play starts in January.

Culver City will play five more tournament games before their first home game three weeks from tonight, Wednesday, Dec. 21, at 7:30 against North Torrance.

Senior center Devon Osborne is the Centaurs’ leader.  He probably will  need a month to round into basketball shape. For the past six months he has been a wide receiver on the league champion football team.  The 6-foot-8, two-sport athlete caught 18 passes for 237 yards and seven touchdowns.

Girls Are Winning

The girls basketball team is 3-1 with wins over Crenshaw, St. Bernard and View Park.  They lost to Thousand Oaks.

Next home game is next Wednesday against Marymount at 6 o’clock in the St. Monica Tournament.

The Centaur girls program is one of the best.  They have won the Ocean League five years in a row. Four times they were 10-0.  They were 9-1 last year.  They won the CIF championship in 2013-14.

This season they will have to find a way to continue their high level of play without the services of Athlete of the Year Kailey Tooke who is now playing at West Los Angeles College.  Last season Tooke scored 46 points in a CIF playoff game.

Mr. Finley may be contacted at sfinley50@aol.com

Mr. Laase may be contacted at GMLaase@aol.com