Boys’ basketball: Crespi goes 19 for 19 on free throws in championship win

Coaches want perfection, and Crespi Coach Russell White couldn’t have been more satisfied on Friday night in watching his young team make 19 of 19 free throws en route to winning the Southern Section Division 4AA championship with a 61-52 victory over San Luis Obispo Mission College Prep at Azusa Pacific.

Mitch Mykhaylov scored 14 points, freshman Brandon Williams had 13 points and De’Anthony Melton added 12 points and nine rebounds. Quinton Adlesh led Mission Prep with 25 points.

Crespi opened an 18-point lead in the third quarter, only to see Mission Prep come charging back, cutting its deficit to two points with just over two minutes left. But the Celts kept making free throw after free throw.

“All those hours of practice,” White said.

“We put a lot of pride in our free throws,” Melton said.

Melton was six of six from the line.

White has already said next year’s team could be his best, since he’s been playing four freshmen and lots of underclassmen. But the Celts are very much in the mix in Division IV for the state playoffs that begin next week.

Twitter:@LATSondheimer