La Verne Lutheran edges Ross Branson for state Division V boys’ basketball title

There’s no reason to show up to a La Verne Lutheran basketball game until the final minute, because that’s when the real action begins.

These players are cardiac kids who love drama. They won a Southern Section 5AA championship on a buzzer-beating shot by Bruce English. They won a regional championship on a three-point play with 23 seconds left by Carl Cooper.

And on Saturday in the state Division V championship game, it was Cooper making a shot with one minute left to give Lutheran a one-point lead, then Kenny Payne connecting on two free throws with 25 seconds left to secure a 35-32 victory over Ross Branson at Rabobank Arena.

“In the final minutes, we have certain guys who are able to step up, and CJ right now is that guy,” Coach Eric Cooper said. “He doesn’t have to make the shot, but I say, ‘CJ, we need you to make the play, and so CJ will get the ball, ‘Well, coach has confidence in me. I’ll do it.’ ”

In winning its first state championship, Lutheran (28-8) had to overcome the patient, deliberate style of the Bulls (25-7), who opened a nine-point lead in the third quarter behind guard Tyler Gaffaney, who scored 16 points.

“We knew they wanted to slow the pace,” Carl Cooper said. “In the first half, we slowed down with them and played their game. In the second half, we played our game.”

The Trojans went to a 3-2 matchup zone that started to produce turnovers and left Branson unable to score. The Bulls scored nine points in the entire second half, including just three baskets.

“Basketball is all about making adjustments, and we had to figure out how to play this type of team,” Eric Cooper said. “They’re so patient that they waited for the opportunity to score.”

Lutheran had a definite size advantage with 6-foot-8 Grant Jerrett, who finished with nine points and nine rebounds, but Branson outrebounded the Trojans, 25-24.

Finding a way to win when the situation doesn’t look good is what championship teams do, and Lutheran, which started no seniors, has big ambitions.

“They’ve learned a lot as far as grinding it out,” Eric Cooper said. “I think it’s going to help us in the future to win games that look kind of bleak.”

The only player to reach double figures in scoring for Lutheran was English with 10 points.

Now the Coopers get to look forward to next season. Cooper, a junior, freshman guard Eric Cooper Jr., sophomore Jerrett, junior English and junior Xavier Jones all return, making the Trojans the definite favorite to repeat as Division V champions.