Prep Basketball BOYS : Loyola Upsets Crespi in Overtime, 45-43

Junior Mike Boken took a pass from forward Dan Mulville and hit a five-foot jumper with eight seconds left in overtime to lift host Loyola High to a 45-43 Del Rey League victory over Crespi on Tuesday night.

The win improves Loyola’s record to 2-1 in league (3-8 overall), while Crespi is now 2-1 in league (7-6 overall).

Crespi led 35-30 at the start of the fourth period but both Boken and Mulville hit two straight free throws to bring the Cubs to within one, 35-34, with 5:29 left in the period. Loyola’s Mark Tilson then hit a free throw to tie the Celts at 37-37.

With Crespi leading 41-39 with one minute left, senior Brian Capp missed from the foul-line and Loyola took the rebound. After a Cubs timeout, Tilson hit a 16-footer with six seconds left to send the contest into overtime.

Boken blocked four shots in the first quarter, prompting Crespi to start shooting from the outside. Crespi, which usually enjoys shooting from the outside, was unusually cold, hitting just 3-11 shots from beyond 15 feet.

Crepi’s Capp, who until last night was shooting 60% from the field and who scored 29 points against Notre Dame last week, hit just 3 of 14 attempts.

Boken and Mulville both had 13 points to lead all scorers. Boken also blocked seven shots while Tilson added eight points for the Cubs.

Senior guard Joe Campanella had a team-high 12 points to lead the Celts while teammate Steve Tanin, a 6-3 junior forward, grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

In the first half Crespi’s all-league guard, Alfie Basile, scored six straight points for the Celts amidst boisterous heckling from the partisan Loyola crowd. Basile, a 6-0 senior, scored 10 points and had six assists for the Celts.

Crespi, which meets Alemany at home Friday night, was 21 of 56 from the field while Loyola hit 20 of 59 from the field. The Cubs will host Bosco Tech Friday.

Ironically, Loyola provided the single blemish on Crespi’s otherwise perfect 11-1 league record last season.