Boys Division IV-A Championship
Price 79, Chaminade 69
Jack Pollon
March 5, 2009
Not many people at Colony High in Onatrio thought Chaminade of West Hills would have a chance against eight-time section champion Price of Los Angeles when it was learned 6'10 Long Beach St.-bound forward Jules Montgomery would not play due to a knee injury suffered in the semifinals.
To be honest, not a lot of people thought the Eagles (20-12) would have a chance with him.
Although Chaminade ultimately fell 79-69 in overtime in the Division IV-A championship game, the Eagles almost pulled off the impossible.
Chaminade trailed 50-31 with six minutes remaining in the third quarter before staging a furious comeback behind junior guard Jamal McClerkin.
McClerkin finished with 33 points including 12 in the fourth quarter and a lay-up and free throw with 2.1 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime.
"We just stayed disciplined and kept to what we practiced all week," McClerkin said. "I knew I was going into the lane at the end. I was going to draw contact and get an and-one."
Unfortunately for Chaminade, McClerkin right calf cramped up and he was not the same in overtime. McClerkin touched the ball just one time and took no shots.
"Jamal cramped up and couldn't move," Chaminade coach Todd Wolfson said. "Trust me, my speech before overtime was Jamal gets the ball or I'm subbing you out. He just couldn't move."
In overtime, Price scored the first four points and proceeded to make nine of 11 free throws.
Chaminade was clearly looking for someone to go to with McClerkin not able to be himself.
Without Montgomery patrolling the middle, Price got second chances in the first half when they weren't making its seven 3-pointers. Price led by four points after the first quarter and grew the lead to 16 by halftime.
Christian Fuentes made a key 3-pointer at the third quarter buzzer for Chamiande and cut the deficit to 10 points.
The Eagles kept chipping away and finally caught the Knights (27-5) when Matthew Strickland missed the second of two free throws and McClerkin drove the lane for a bucket and free throw after an inexplicable foul on Price.
"My guys just kept fighting," Wolfson said. "We could have packed it up and went home and hoped to get into state but they just fought and fought. We lost 22 points and 13 rebounds with Jules but we believed we still could win from the beginning."
Fuentes finished with 14 points including four 3-pointers and Jake Basmagian had 13 for Chaminade. Basmagian had 15 rebounds.
Cal-bound junior guard Allen Crabbe had 22 points and nine rebounds to lead Price.
Fremont of Los Angeles transfer Kelvin Smith had 19 points including the first four points in overtime for the Knights.
Casey Trujeque had 15 points, six assists and made five of six free throws in overtime.
Keith Taylor added 11 and 12 rebounds for Price, who reversed a blowout loss in last years Div. III-AA championship game to Campbell Hall of North Hollywood.
Chaminade's season might not be over.
The Eagles could qualify for the Div. III state tournament when pairings are announced Sunday afternoon.