Diamond Ranch wins Azusa boys basketball tournament after Gabrielino buzzer-beater rattles off the rim

By John Honell
It looked like a repeat of the 2013 championship game of the Azusa Boys Basketball Tournament
Defending champion Gabrielino, which won on a buzzer-beater last year, once again had a shot at the buzzer against Diamond Ranch but this time the ball rolled off the rim and the Eagles dropped a 59-58 decision to the Panthers.
“This was stressful,” Panthers first-year coach Eric Cooper said. “They got all the way to the basket and with five seconds left, you have to cut off that drive. I guess I’d rather be lucky than good.”
The Panthers had trailed 58-51 with 2:21 left in the game when they rallied for eight consecutive points and the victory.
“There were a couple of plays in a row where we gave it up,” Eagles coach John Carney said. “We tried to be aggressive against their press where we had some success earlier but, we gave it up.”
Tyler McLean came up with a huge block on a fast-break layup attempt by the Eagles with 1:20 left in the game and the Eagles leading by five points.
“We had an opportunity to take it up strong and finish it,” Carney said. “But, they got the block and the momentum.”

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