Roth’s Shot Carries Orange Past Foothill

Foothill High School played it close again on Friday night, but this time the Knights lost in a Century League game against Orange.

Orange forward Dave Roth made a five-foot turnaround jump shot with four seconds remaining to lift the Panthers to a 51-50 victory that handed Foothill its first league loss. Only two days earlier, the Knights beat Santa Ana, 40-38, when Dave Rasmussen made a 50-foot shot at the buzzer.

Roth, a 6-foot 5-inch senior, scored 20 points and had 8 rebounds. Teammate Mark Holman added 14 points, and his outside shooting opened up the inside for Roth. The Panthers are 4-4 and 9-10. Foothill is 7-1 and 15-4.

“With Tustin losing, we’re back in the hunt for the playoffs,” Orange Coach Ed Graham said. “The key was Holman’s shooting in the second half. We got hot and Foothill couldn’t sag their zone on Roth.”

FOOTHILL (50)--Jordan 12, Grahovac 4, Schlines 12, Johnson 16, Rasmussen 6.

ORANGE (51)--Roth 20, Dowell 7, Smith 4, Holman 14, Adams 6.

In other Century League play:

El Modena 82, Villa Park 52--Four players scored in double figures for the Vanguards, who ran their league record to 5-3 and their overall mark to 8-8. Jason Hamlin and Ryan Rycraw led the way with 16 points each, and Rycraw had a game-high 10 rebounds. Greg Burton was high scorer for Villa Park with 16 points. The Spartans dropped to 0-7 and 4-11. Villa Park hurt itself at the foul line, making 18 of 41 free-throw attempts.

VILLA PARK (52)--Bray 3, Barnett 12, Burton 16, Creagan 2, Stork 3, Sipe 3, Smith 2, Ford 1, Carter 1, Moffatt 4, Bril 5.

EL MODENA (82)--Ervin 9, Hamlin 16, Ahart 5, Rycraw 16, Degree 4, Steingraber 10, DeFeo 15, Bialack 3, Engle 4.

Santa Ana 64, Canyon 50--Eric Turner scored a game-high 27 points and had 10 rebounds to lead the Saints past the Comanches at Santa Ana. Bobby Joyce added 10 points and 11 rebounds for Santa Ana (7-1, 14-5). Ralph Garcia led Canyon (2-6, 6-12) with 16 points.

CANYON (50)--Garcia 16, Mury 6, Ream 11, Frye 4, Williams 8, Pavlish 5.

SANTA ANA (64)--Lynwood 6, Stewart 5, Leon 2, Bailey 8, Lane 6, Joyce 10, Turner 27.

Santa Ana Valley 58, Tustin 52--The Falcons’ press finally took its toll in the fourth quarter as Santa Ana Valley overcame a two-point deficit and outscored the Tillers, 25-17, for the victory at Santa Ana Valley. Alonzo Jamison led all scorers with 23 points for the Falcons (3-5, 9-9). Kevin Anderson led the Tillers (4-4, 10-8) with 18 points.

TUSTIN (52)--Anderson 18, Parker 4, Lay 2, Middleton 9, Parks 8, Patstone 8, Walker 3.

SANTA ANA VALLEY (58)--Jamison 23, Ross 14, Wilchie 4, Whitlock 13, Bentley 2, Contreras 2.