Cleveland Cavaliers Showcase Depth and Talent in Big Win

Before tipoff, Cleveland head coach Dagem Asfaw carried the quiet confidence of a man holding a royal flush. He didn’t say it outright, but it was clear: the Cavaliers are built to win. Young, athletic, high-IQ, and accustomed to being the go-to option on their former teams, this sophomore-heavy roster runs deep. So deep that the Cavs essentially roll out two starting lineups, with 6-foot-8 Sergine Deme coming off the bench. Asfaw admitted the season’s biggest challenge has been convincing his talent-rich roster to embrace new roles.

A basketball player in a red and white uniform dribbles the ball while being closely guarded by two players in blue uniforms during a game.

Across the floor, El Camino head coach Colin Jamerson faced a tougher hand, missing his leading scorer. His plan was simple but demanding: slow Cleveland down, protect the ball, and knock down timely shots. Early on, his Royals executed the first part. They disrupted Cleveland’s rhythm, forced sloppy possessions, and created turnovers. But the shots didn’t fall.

Nearly four minutes in, sophomore Sho Evans finally broke the scoreless tie for Cleveland. El Camino junior Isaiah Johnson answered, scoring and assisting on back-to-back possessions to keep the Royals close. Still, the three-pointers refused to drop. Cleveland sophomore Harut Posheyan stuffed the stat sheet, closing the quarter with a steal and a bucket. Despite the disparity in firepower, El Camino trailed just 11-8 after one, poised to apply pressure.

A basketball player in a white uniform with red accents dribbles a ball past a defender in a blue uniform during a game, with spectators in the background.

A basketball player in a white uniform leaps to shoot a basketball while defenders in blue uniforms attempt to block the shot. Spectators watch from the stands in the background.

Then Asfaw unleashed his second unit and the game tilted. It didn’t seem fair as the gassed Royals’ starting five watched these fresh-faced athletes step on the floor for the first time.

Sophomore Liam Ball, returning from a foot injury, scored or assisted on the Cavaliers’ first nine points of the second quarter, punctuated by a soaring alley-oop to Deme that drew a collective double-take. The Cavs also played fundamentally sound ball, making the extra pass, getting back on defense and making sure nothing came easy for the scrappy Royals.

A basketball player in a red and white uniform dribbles the ball while being closely guarded by an opponent in a blue uniform during a game.

A basketball player leaps to dunk the ball during a game, while two opponents watch. The scene is set in a gym with banners hanging on the walls, and spectators are present in the background.

Jamerson implored his core group to fight back and they did behind buckets from Jaydin Jackson, Amari Anderson, and sophomore Daniel Hernandez. But Cleveland kept attacking. Sophomore Charlie Adams and junior TJ Wansa relentlessly drove the lane, wearing El Camino down. The 2nd quarter closed with another alley-oop to Deme that sent Cleveland into the break up 36-19.

A young basketball player in a blue uniform is dribbling the ball while evading an opponent in a red and white uniform during a game.

A basketball player in a blue jersey attempts to block the shot of another player in a red and white jersey during a game, with spectators in the background.

The outcome felt inevitable, but Jamerson’s Royals came out of the locker room firing. El Camino opened the second half on a 7-0 run, trimming the deficit to 36-26 and briefly forcing Cleveland to substitute players to stop the run. In the end, the problem wasn’t effort for the Royals, it was firepower. The Cavaliers absorbed their best punch and rolled right back, imposing their will on both ends and stretching the lead to 61-34 by the end of the third.

Daniel Hernandez led the Royals with 8 points, adding 5 rebounds and 3 assists, while the bench delivered hard, physical minutes that reflected the toughness Jamerson demands. The gap in score never mattered to him, only the effort did, and his team kept competing. Still, after three, El Camino trailed by 27 points.

“Eventually if you don’t make any shots, then the defense just won’t carry over.” Jamerson reflected on the difficulty of sustaining the defensive effort. “When you make shots you get pumped up to run back and play defense. The offense was great. We were generating good looks. Just got to make shots at some point.”

A basketball player in a blue jersey, with the number 1, dribbles the ball while being closely guarded by an opponent in a white jersey with red accents and the number 13.

The fourth quarter followed the same script. Wansa and sophomore Charlie Adams continued to attack, finishing with 15 and 19 points respectively. Sergine Deme barely saw the floor in the second half and still ended with 10 points, punctuated by three sky-walking dunks. Cleveland dominated every phase of the game, closing out a 78-49 win.

The revelation wasn’t the margin, it was the message. The Cavaliers are looking like the team to beat in the West Valley. “With all the talent we have, it’s starting to come together,” Asfaw concluded. “We’re sharing the ball really well. We need to keep racking up the assists and making the right play with all of our threats. If we can do that, we’re going to be pretty good down the stretch.”

Cleveland (11-7, 2-0) dropped their South Pasadena Showcase contest against Village Christian 107-69 on Monday night, and will visit Heritage Christian on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. They return to West Valley League action on Wednesday, January 21 when they host Chatsworth at 5:00 p.m.

all photos by Benjamin Becher