A quick start and the athleticism of junior transfer student Daniel Gomis of Senegal carried The Community School boys' basketball team to a 46-37 Northside Conference victory over Camas County Tuesday.
Packed to the gills with Cutthroat and Camas fans, the Fish Tank in Sun Valley was rocking and rolling. Gomis, the high-flying 6-9 college basketball prospect, was the main attraction in his third home game of the still-young season.
Gomis (20.3 ppg) finished up with his first triple-double of the season and it was an unusual one at that—22 points, 18 rebounds and 10 blocked shots. He added 4 steals and 6 assists, and was 5-for-6 in his dunking attempts. Gomis made two 3-pointers and air-balled one.
The Camas County fans hooted when Gomis air-balled.
Otherwise, there was little drama to the ultimate conclusion after Gomis scored 11 points with 5 rebounds and 3 dunks in the first period alone.
In their first game after a 19-day holiday break, the Cutthroats didn't show any early signs of what head coach Ed Flory called "ring rust." They outscored the flat-footed Mushers 18-5 in the first eight minutes for their biggest lead.
After that, the Cutthroats played raggedly and the hard-working Mushers clawed back to a six-point deficit at 31-25 in the third quarter. Gomis had a sub-par third period, missing an easy dunk and two close-in shots, while traveling twice.
Community School senior guard Paul Davis (11 points, 3 assists) provided stability with 7 points including a clutch 3-pointer in the final quarter.
Other Cutthroat contributors were sophomore Will Brokaw (7 points, 4 rebounds), sophomore Henry Rickbeil (7 rebounds), junior Dane Inman (3 points), sophomore Hunter Weaver (2 points, 2 steals) and senior Tanner Flanigan (1 point, 2 rebounds, 3 steals).
The Cutthroats ended up with 26 turnovers, compared to 17 for Camas County, and Gomis' boardwork helped the Fish to a 34-25 edge on the glass.
Camas County scorers included Derek Walker (9 points, 4 rebounds), Carlos Robles (9 points, 4 rebounds, 5 steals, 2 assists), sophomore Andrew Simon (9 points, 4 boards), senior Mickenzie Boggs (5 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists) and freshman Jordan Robles (2 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals).
The Cutthroats (4-2, 3-0 league) carry their unbeaten Northside boast over to top-ranked Carey tonight, Friday.
Community School sophomore Will Brokaw drives to the hoop during Tuesday’s game at The Fish Tank in Sun Valley. Photo by David N. Seelig
