The Palisades Rec Team takes the Championship title
For some March Madness is all about college basketball. But Palisades players turned it into March Madness in Los Angeles. They won back-to-back titles for the City’s Recreation Center’s West Region Championship.
When most of the Palisades burned on January 7 and the Palisades Recreation Center was closed, the Palisades players, who had signed up for basketball had to do a quick assessment. Do we call it a year? Or do we continue practicing and playing games in a new location?
In his second year as head coach of the Pali Rec Co-Ed Minors All Stars, Vijay Srinivasan put those questions to the team, and everyone wanted to play.
Srinivasan sent a March 30 email to CTN. “The All-Star team just won the West Region Championship,” he said and noted it was not an easy feat. It was only through teamwork and determination that the team won six straight games to claim the trophy.
In the Championship game at the Obama Rec Center, the Pali win was led by Kingsley Citron with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Arjun Srinivasan, the team’s only returning player, had six points and 14 rebounds. Other players who contributed to the win were Hunter Ma, Knox Redick, Josh Adhoot, Dax Skinner, Beckett Thomas, Kai Bowman and Matthew Bundy.
Srinivasan was aided by assistant coach John Skinner.
“I was a local Palisades resident until January 7, but will be back one day when we rebuild,” Srinivasan said.