Muir clinched a share of the Pacific League title with a big win over Glendale. Andre Frazier and Jelani Mitchell each had 17 points and Dion Nelson and Tevin Polk had 13 points. Muir can clinch the league title outright with a win on Tuesday at home against Crescenta Valley. I’ll be there for the game.
By Keith Lair, Staff Writer
LA CRESCENTA – The Pasadena High School boys basketball team did an exceptional job of keeping the ball away from Crescenta Valley’s Christian Misi in the second half.
But the Falcons found their 6-foot-5 go-to senior when it counted, and he knocked down a 3-pointer with 7.0 seconds remaining to give Crescenta Valley a 61-60 victory over Pasadena on Friday night.
“They got a hand up on me, but it went in, so it was all right,” Misi said of the shot from 20 feet out from near the Falcons bench.
“Once it left his hands it looked beautiful all the way,” Crescenta Valley coach Shawn Zargarian said.
It is the first time the Falcons have beaten the Bulldogs in seven years, a stretch of 13 games.
The Bulldogs are in danger of not winning a Pacific League title for the first time in a decade.
“We’re getting beaten by teams we haven’t been beaten by,” Pasadena coach Tim Tucker said. “That happens. You can’t keep going forever. We had our way and we will have our way again.”
Pasadena (10-2 in league) plays host to Hoover on Tuesday and then visits first-place Muir (12-0) on Thursday.
Crescenta Valley (10-2) plays at Muir on Tuesday and then at Arcadia.
Tied at 58, Pasadena worked the ball down low to Brandon Jolley, who scored five of the Bulldogs’ six field goals in the fourth quarter. He backed in against Rudy Avila, made the shot for a 60-58 lead and was fouled with 37 seconds to play.
Jolley missed the free-throw attempt, but John Hayward got the offensive rebound. Tucker called timeout when Hayward was surrounded by a trio of Falcons.
Hayward then had to inbound the ball from the corner but was unable to get the ball in, resulting in a five-second violation with 31.3 seconds to play.
“It was really our mismanagement,” Tucker said.
“We knew we had a timeout and we didn’t call timeout. If we call timeout, we’re probably the ones celebrating.
“It was a tough spot. They played good defense out of it. But again, somebody has to call timeout.”
Crescenta Valley, which trailed by as many as eight points, waited patiently for the last shot. Misi came off a double screen and Cole Currie, dribbling near the halfcourt line, hit him with the pass. The Bulldogs had a hand in his face, but Misi took the shot anyway.
“It was a great shot,” Tucker said. “We contested it.”
The Bulldogs called a timeout with 6.0 seconds to play. Hayward dribbled the length of the court and appeared to have the lane, but Misi and Avila, at 6-7, stepped up and the 5-10 senior guard tried to kick the ball back up top. Ajon Efferson scrambled for the ball and threw up a 3-point heave after time expired.
