The Chargers, who were frustrated as shot after shot rattled in and out or bounced harmlessly off the rim, exploded for a 13-0 run with the damage coming primarily from the hands of Navdeep Rai, who poured in 11 of those points.

Rai got it started by firing in a short jumper and followed that by nailing a three-pointer from the top of the key to give Leland its first lead of the night, 48-46. Jimi Kogura added two by stealing an inbounds pass and banking in a basket. Then Rai launched two more threes from the same spot at the top of the key. By the time the fireworks had ended, Leland had stretched its lead to 56-46 and generated more momentum than Willow Glen could overcome.

Hienock Habte tried to pour some water on the fire by nailing a three-ball for the Rams to end the Chargers run and Will Robinson tossed in a jumper and went high on the boards to tip in another, but it wasn't enough. Leland dropped in 9 of 11 free throws down the stretch to hold off any comeback effort.

The Chargers went on to claim a 69-55 Blossom Valley Athletic League Santa Teresa Division win over the Rams. The win moved Leland to 2-0 in division play and dropped Willow Glen to 1-1 after the first week of league action.

"We made a change to a different zone offense in an effort to get some open shots," Leland coach Dave Frandsen said. "It gave us some good shots and fortunately Navdeep was hot and was able to hit his shots."

"Basketball is a game of runs," Frandsen said. "And usually the team that has the final run comes out on top." The Chargers and Rams sure seemed to prove his point throughout the contest.

The way the game unfolded after the opening tipoff certainly didn't look like the way it eventually turned out. The Rams opened with a 12-2 run, hitting outside jumpers, grabbing rebounds for put-back buckets, and dumping in shots from the paint. Willow Glen continued the barrage to build a 20-8 bulge by the end of the first quarter.

Habte was everywhere, firing in 11 of his game-high 24 points in the quarter. Robinson was a consistent presence for the Rams, tossing in points in every quarter to finish with 17. Sophomore guard Steven Skavdahl ran the offense and also contributed a double digit effort with 10 points, including a couple of threes. Rueben Medina added four points to close out the Rams scoring.

The Chargers came flying out of the gate with a 10-0 run to start the second quarter to get within two points at 20-18 but could not close the gap. They missed the front end of two one and one free throw opportunities that would have brought them even. Then the Rams came back with seven unanswered points and held on for a 29-22 advantage at the half.

In the third, the Chargers began to chip away at the deficit.

Willow Glen also nailed down a win in its Santa Teresa Division opener in a hard fought 39-35 win over Independence. The Rams started strong in that one as well, banging out a 23-15 halftime advantage. They were able to hold off a fourth quarter surge by the 76ers to come away with the win.

The Rams had the long-range attack working, connecting on six buckets from beyond the arc. Habte led the scoring with 12 points on the night, including one three ball. Skavdahl was a close second, nailing three from long range to total 11 points. Kyle Schroeder bagged a pair of threes to finish with six points. Ruben Medina also tossed in six while Robinson dropped in three and Brian Chunn added one.

League action continues this week for Willow Glen with the Rams hosting Andrew Hill on Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. before traveling to Gunderson on Jan. 14 for a 7:30 p.m. start.