The Culver City High School boys basketball team is looking to snap a four-game losing streak this weekend when they travel to the San Gabriel Valley to play in a holiday tournament.

The Centaurs will battle Arroyo from El Monte on Friday at 4, Blair from Pasadena on Saturday at 5:30, and Aquinas from San Bernardino on Monday at 5:30.

The 3-6 Centaurs are young but they hope to grow up fast because next month Ocean League play starts.

Time will not wait. 

“We are very inexperienced, so we are learning as we go,” said Coach Adam Eskridge last week after their loss to St. Bernard.  “We are moving in the right direction, just not as fast as we would like.”

Culver City’s lack of size and inability, so far, to take care of the ball are two other problems they must deal with.

Happily, effort is not a problem.

“We really play hard in practice and the games,” said Eskridge. “We need to cut down on our turnovers.

 “Offensively, we are quick. We need to execute better on offense, though.”

The Centaurs are relying on the play of Malik McLinn, Darae Thompson, Isaiah Njoku and Kyle Johnson.

“Malik has been fantastic,” Eskridge said.  “Darae’s offense has been a big surprise.  Isaiah is our rock. And we feed off of Kyle’s energy.”

Thompson led the team is scoring with 18 points against St. Bernard, followed by Johnson with 16, Jailon Bates had 14 and Tyler Nakamoto finished with seven.

Johnson realizes the team has size limitations.

He wants the players to work harder around the basket.  “We need to work on our rebounding and boxing-out the other team,” said Johnson.  “We are young, but we are improving.”

The Centaurs backed into the playoffs last year with a losing record.  This season they hope to have a winning league record and surprise some schools in the playoffs. 

“If we make sure our spacing is right on defense and get everyone on the same page, we can be a pretty good basketball team,” Eskridge said.

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