Santiago Tournament : Valencia Wins After Blowing Big Lead : Tigers Qualify for Final With a 49-48 Victory Over Kennedy

Valencia High School built a 15-point, fourth-quarter lead, then held off a Kennedy rally in the final four minutes to score a 49-48 victory Friday night and earn a spot in tonight’s final of the Santiago Holiday Tournament.

The Tigers (6-4) will play Burbank at 8:30 p.m. for the championship, following Kennedy’s game against Buena Park for third place.

Santiago, a 63-41 winner over Magnolia, and Garden Grove, which beat Laguna Beach, 59-55, will play for the consolation championship at 5 p.m.

The Valencia-Kennedy semifinal was a game of streaks, with the Tigers turning a 33-30 advantage into a 47-32 lead with a 14-2 spurt at the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth. Then, the Irish made a game of it by outscoring the Tigers, 16-2, over the final four minutes.

“We’ve had so many problems with injuries, we just haven’t been able to afford practice time to work on a delay game,” Valencia Coach Ray Rodriguez said. “But that’s what these preleague games are for, and a win’s a win.”

The Tigers committed 10 turnovers over the last four minutes and failed to get off a single shot while Kennedy was playing catch-up. But guard Norman Nakawaki sank a pair of free throws with 17 seconds left that proved to be the difference.

Forward Kevin Jones sparked Valencia with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Gaurd David LaRue came off the bench to contribute 13 points and center Geoff Adams added 10. Center Jeff Green, playing much of the game in foul trouble, led the Irish with 18 points. Guard Darrin Queen added 10.