Pali High Hoops Tourney Tips Off Nov. 28

Basketball season is still over a month away, but varsity girls coach Torino Johnson is hard at work preparing his team for a run at its second consecutive L.A. City Section championship. To achieve that goal, Johnson has scheduled games against as many highly-ranked opponents as possible in order to toughen the Dolphins up for the playoffs.

"I want Palisades to be known as a program that is willing to play anyone, anywhere, anytime," Johnson said. "I have very high expectations for this year's team."

The Dolphins will open the season hosting their eighth annual from Nov. 28 to Dec. 3, and Johnson has assembled the toughest field yet. The 16-team tournament will be bracket play (meaning winners move on and losers drop to a consolation draw) and every team is guaranteed four games.

Palisades won the outright tournament title for the first time last winter, beating Carson 60-55 in the final, and junior point guard Ashlie Bruner was named Most Valuable Player. The Colts went on to claim their second straight City Division I crown while the Dolphins won the Division II crown. If both win their first-round games, they will meet in the second round of this year's tournament.

The 2011 edition will feature six City schools (Palisades, El Camino Real, Canoga Park, Westchester, Carson and Locke) and 11 from the CIF Southern Section (La Salle, Marymount, Campbell Hall, St. Monica, Sierra Canyon, Marlborough, Campbell Hall, Culver City, Esperanza, Calabasas and Palos Verdes).

First-round matchups are as follows:

Monday, Nov. 28

El Camino Real vs. Canoga Park, 2:15 p.m.

Sierra Canyon vs. Westchester, 3:45 p.m.

Carson vs. Locke, 5:15 p.m.

Esperanza vs. Calabasas, 6:45 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 29

vs. Marlborough, 2:15 p.m.

Campbell Hall vs. Culver City, 3:45 p.m.

La Salle vs. Marymount, 5:15 p.m.

Palos Verdes vs. St. Monica, 6:45 p.m.

All games will be at the Pali High gym. The championship game will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, preceded by the consolation championship (ninth-place game) at 1:30 p.m., the seventh-place game at 3 p.m., the fifth-place game at 4:30 p.m. and the third-place game at 6.

"This is the strongest our tournament has ever been," Johnson said. "I chose each team carefully. I wanted it to be top-notch. There's a good mix of schools from the City, the Westside, the South Bay and the San Fernando Valley. I'm very excited and I'm looking forward to seeing great basketball."

In addition to their own tournament, the Dolphins will play in the Mater Dei Tournament starting Dec. 5, the Nike Tournament of Champions the week before Christmas and the Oaks Christian Tournament the week after Christmas. Johnson has also scheduled nonleague games against Edison and Orange Lutheran.

"This is going to be an incredible season," he said. "I can't wait."

Johnson is seeking businesses and corporations to place ads in the tournament media guide. Prices are as follows: $25 for business card size, $75 for a half page and $125 for a full page. To buy an ad or become a sponsor of the Pali High girls basketball program, email .

Listed are the Dolphins' year-by-year results in the :

2004 -- 4th place (Leuzinger won)

2005 -- 4th place (Marymount won)

2006 -- 5th place (Pacific Hills won)

2007 -- 3rd place (Bell-Jeff won)

2008 -- Tied for 1st place with Marymount & Notre Dame Academy

2009 -- 2nd place (Carson won)

2010 -- 1st place (Defeated Carson 60-55 in final)

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