Boys basketball: Oak Park Falls Short Against Price at Morningside High

Sam Levine missed a wide open 3-pointer from the left corner off of a pass from point guard Andy Winningham at the buzzer in overtime as Oak Park came up just short in a 47-44 defeat to Price of Los Angeles in a Div. III-AA semifinal at Morningside High in Inglewood.

“We practice that play everyday in practice and I usually hit it eight out of ten times”. Levine said. “It just didn’t go in. I don’t know what to say. I guess we are going home”.

Price advances to the championship game Saturday morning at the Honda Center in Anaheim against defending champion Campbell Hall of North Hollywood, an 81-48 winner against La Canada.

Winningham scored 14 points including four 3-pointers to lead Oak Park. His 3-pointer with 23 seconds remaining in regulation tied the score at 41 and sent the game to overtime after Price’s Kenny Albritton missed a 17 footer at the buzzer.

Bobby Hillard, sophomore Blake Davenport and Levine scored nine, eight and seven points respectively for Oak Park, which led 21-19 at halftime and trailed 33-31 after three quarters.

Davenport buried a three pointer from the right corner with 30 seconds remaining in overtime to close the gap to one but Oak Park blew an opportunity after Washington-bound forward Tyrese Breshers missed two free throws for Price with 23 seconds remaining.

Winningham drove the lane but Breshers came up big, blocking the shot and sophomore Keith Taylor came down with the rebound and made one of two free throws setting up the final play of the game.

Breshers finished with 15 points to lead Price including several key rebounds in the second half.

Taylor had 11 points and sophomore Allen Crabbe had seven points for the Knights.

“We just didn’t get enough scoring opportunities,” Winningham said. “We practiced against the zone defense but they were more spread out and had longer players”.