Crespi Loses at Line to Verbum Dei : Six Late Free Throws by Williams Eliminate the Celts, 62-56

Crespi High’s basketball team played Friday afternoon, mainly because Cleveland could not hit free throws in the clutch on Wednesday.

Crespi’s basketball team will not play today, mainly because Verbum Dei could hit free throws in the clutch.

The Eagles, behind the perfect fourth-quarter free-throw shooting of Kevin Williams, defeated the Celts, 62-56, in a consolation semifinal game of the Tournament of Champions at Cal Poly Pomona.

Williams, a 6-2 guard, made six free throws in as many attempts in the final eight minutes to eliminate the Celts from the tournament.

The Eagles led, 55-54, when Williams hit both ends of a one-and-one opportunity with 1:15 left in the game.

Thirteen seconds later, the junior again made two foul shots to give Verbum Dei (5-1) a five-point lead.

Crespi (4-3) cut the gap to three on a jumper by Jason Turner with 54 seconds left, then got the ball back on a Verbum Dei turnover.

But with 35 seconds left, Crespi’s Steve Tanin stepped on the baseline while driving toward the basket, giving possession back to the Eagles.

Crespi had only eight turnovers, but committed them at the most inopportune time.

“We should have won,” Crespi Coach Paul Muff said. “We just had some real crucial turnovers.”

Said Verbum Dei Coach Cliff Sanchez: “We were lucky to pull this one out.”

Neither team led by more than the six-point margin Verbum Dei had at the end. Several times Crespi held a three-point advantage, but every time it appeared the Celts would build a comfortable lead, the Eagles came back.

“We got mentally tough in the fourth quarter,” Sanchez said. “When we were down by one point, we had to make things happen.”

Muff pointed to the Celts’ inability to score in the fourth quarter. Crespi had only five field goals in the last fight minutes.

“We had the shots,” Muff said. “We just did not put them in. We missed an awful lot of layups. We’d miss, get the rebound, then miss two-footers.”

Crespi had problems shooting not only in the fourth quarter, but in the three other quarters as well. The Celts shot just 37% (23 of 61) from the field.

Verbum Dei shot 57% (24 of 42), led by senior guard David Jones, who made 9 of 15 and finished with 20 points.

Several times, Jones broke the Celts’ full-court press and would up with layups.

“Usually our press is more effective,” Muff said. “But he took something away from us.”

Jones, an All-Southern Section performer last season, took the halftime lead away from the Celts when he scored at the buzzer following a steal.

Instead of leading after two quarters, Crespi trailed, 35-34, following Jones’ breakaway layup.

“That was a four-point turnaround,” Muff said. “That really hurt us.”

Crespi fell behind by five early in the third quarter, but came back behind the shooting of Turner, who finished with a team-high 20 points.

Turner, a 6-2 senior guard, hit three long-range jumpers to give the Celts a 46-45 lead entering the final quarter.

Pat Knight hit a jumper to open the fourth quarter and give Crespi a 48-45 lead. The Celts then had a chance to increase the lead to five, but Tom Morley was called for an illegal screen.

Williams, who scored 18 points, hit two free throws off the Morley foul to bring the Eagles to within one.

The Eagles then led by one, 51-50, when Williams hit from the corner with 4:49 left.

The teams then exchanged turnovers until Jones hit two straight layups to put the Eagles ahead, 55-50, with three minutes left.

Tanin and Turner hit jumpers to bring the Celts to within one before Williams iced the game at the line.

“With the talent they have, they are an exceptional team,” Sanchez said of the Celts. “They don’t have great athletes, but they have an excellent coach. They are well disciplined.”

Verbum Dei will play St. Anthony for the consolation title today at 4 p.m.

While unhappy with the loss, Muff was pleased his team played one of the Southern Section’s better teams tough.

“If you want a good overall record, don’t enter this tournament,” Muff said. “This will help us for the playoffs.”

VERBUM DEI--Lewis 10 and 8 rebounds; Jenkins 9; Briggs 2; Jones 20; Williams 18; Gipson 2; Gordon 0; Masson 0; Glaspie 1; Wilson 0.

CRESPI--Campbell 2; Yoest 13; Tanin 15 and 12 rebounds; Knight 6; Turner 20; Morley 0.