Akbar, Dunbar do enough to top CJ

Eagles prove scrappy, but 23-6 run is difference.

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By John Cummings, Contributing Writer Updated 5:22 PM Wednesday, December 7, 2011

If Dunbar basketball standout Gary Akbar had his way, there would be no position beside his name.

As long as there are a lot of W’s on the schedule at the end of the season, he’s happy.

“I will do whatever I got to do to win, whatever they need me to do,” Akbar said after pouring in 21 points to go with 12 rebounds, three assists and five steals in the Wolverines’ 54-39 win over Chaminade Julienne at Dunbar High School. “I don’t have a position, just put me out there as an athlete and let me play to my ability.”

It was Akbar who helped the Wolverines (2-0) overcome a scrappy first half by the Eagles. Akbar had 13 points at the break as Dunbar watched a 17-7 lead turn into a 22-18 lead at the break.

The Eagles (1-1) opened the second half with a 3-pointer by sophomore Justin Bibbs and a 3-point play by John Staley to cut the deficit to 26-24 with 5:40 left in the third quarter. However, Dunbar closed the third quarter and opened the fourth with a 23-6 run to push the lead to 51-33 with three minutes to play.

“The mid-third quarter through the mid-fourth quarter, we let up,” Eagles coach Joe Staley said. “Deep down, I don’t think the kids believed they could come in here and win. I believed we could win, the coaches believed we could and I think the kids do now, but when you are on the floor waiting for it to happen, it will.”

AJ Harris (11) and Andre Yates (10) added double-digit nights for the Wolverines while John Staley led the way for CJ with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

“Defensively, it doesn’t matter what you do on Staley,” Wolverines coach Pete Pullen said. “If you don’t outwork him, he is going to beat you and we didn’t outwork him.”

Dunbar turned the ball over 10 times and was 15-of-32 from the line after a 5-for-16 first half and held just a 26-24 advantage on the boards. It is a process, Pullen says, that will take some time.

“We have 18 games to go to figure it out,” Pullen said. “Even though we are experienced, we haven’t gelled. I see it coming. It is a long process.”

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