All Scores Posted: Overall it was a big night for boys hoops, Northview and La Verne Lutheran also win, even Rowland gave one-loss Peninsula all it could handle before losing by ten, and La Puente lost in overtime to JSerra. Our Inland friends, Ayala and Chino Hills, both lost.

By Fred J. Robledo, Staff Writer
For a team that hadn’t led the entire night, Maranatha’s 6-foot-5 senior forward Stephen Van Spronsen calmly turned to Minutemen coach Tim Godley as the third quarter ended and told him not to worry, that he would find a way to get it done. With point guard Jeremy Major fouled out with nine points an all-everything guard Josh Chamberlain struggling to get open looks, Van Spronsen delivered on cue, hitting a running banker in the lane off glass with 25 seconds left to lead Maranatha to a 54-52 come-from-behind victory over Covina in the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 4A playoffs on Friday. (To continue, click thread).

CIF-Southern Section Boys Basketball playoffs results
Friday’s second round
Division 1AA
Etiwanda 86, Chino Hills 54
Division 1A
Walnut 56, Quartz Hill 52
Division 2A
Palos Verdes Peninsula 59, Rowland 49
Gahr 77, Ayala 57
Division 3AA
Price 72, Nogales 50
La Verne Lutheran 80, Moorpark 39
Division 3A
Bonita 60, San Marcos 46
Damien 54, Woodbridge 27
Division 4AA
Northview 66, St. Francis 54
Bishop Amat 71, Palos Verdes 59
Division 4A
JSerra 64, La Puente 58, OT
Morningside 78, Wilson 72
Maranatha 54, Covina 52

“This is a kid who hit a big shot like that to help us tie for the league championship from about the same spot,” Godley said of Van Spronsen, who scored six of his nine points in the fourth quarter. “He went out there and took it tonight. That was his mindset.”
Covina, which led by as many as 12 points late in the first half, had a chance to tie on its final possession.
Point guard Mike Peters, who led the Colts with 17 points, missed a game-tying 12-foot attempt with 6.9 seconds left, but the Colts got the ball back and called timeout.
On the inbound, 6-foot-6 Justin Mason got the ball down low for the Colts, but he couldn’t convert and a scramble for the ball ended out of bounds with the Colts getting it back with .3 left, but they couldn’t get a shot off on the inbound and time expired.
Maranatha fans came pouring on the court in its second straight playoff thriller.
R.J. Straker, who finished with a game-high 18 points, hit the game-winning shot in the Minutemen’s 69-66 first-round win over Barstow.
Early-round games aren’t supposed to be this difficult for a second-seed like Maranatha (23-5), but it will take it.
The Minutemen advance to Tuesday’s quarterfinals at home against either Ontario Christian or Fillmore.
“Our problem has been we start slow,” Godley said. “This is a senior laden team for the most part, but they have a lot of heart. I get worried, but we were down further the last game and managed.
“You know, they have just been through so much. We played a tough schedule and they believe no matter what the situation, they can dig themselves out of it.”
Covina ended the season 17-12, but not without a fight.
The Colts raced to a 31-19 lead with 1:06 left in the first half, but the Minutemen slowly crawled back, taking their first lead 46-44 on Van Spronsen’s bucket with 4:20 left.
Although the Colts held Minutemen sharp-shooter Chamberlain to just 12 points, Chamberlain scored five quick points, the second a long 3-pointer to turn a 48-47 Colts lead into a 52-48 Minutemen lead with 1:30 left.
Peters answered with a 3-pointer to trim the deficit to 52-51 with 1:19 left, setting the stage for the wild finish.
“They’re just a good team,” Colts coach Will Bissman said of Maranatha. “Their starting five is legit, they don’t have a weakness at all.
“Our stud Peters did great, but I don’t think we got enough guys involved. We started standing around in the second half and kind of watched the show.
“But against a team like this, all you want is a chance to win in the end and we had that chance. It was a great game.”
Peters was the only player in double figures for the Colts. Ren MacAlalag finished with nine points and Nino Harrell scored eight.

Highlights and interviews from Chino Hill’s opening round win ..