Giles Scores 31 and University Tops Kearny in Overtime, 63-62

Some of Kearny High School’s basketball fans laughed out loud when University High senior forward Sean Giles missed his first shot Friday night.

After all, Giles’ shot--a 25-foot, off-balance effort--was two feet short, hitting nothing but air.

As it turned out, however, that would be all the laughing the Kearny fans would do. At the end, it was Giles and his University teammates doing most of the grinning.

Giles scored 31 points, including all three of his team’s points in overtime, to give University a 63-62 win in a City Western League playoff game at University City High School.

Giles was magnificent throughout the game, putting up jumpers from 25-feet out and from every side of Kearny’s switching, diamond-and-one defense. And unlike his first shot, most of his efforts hit nothing but net.

“I felt real good from the beginning,” Giles said. “I even felt good on that first one, but I was a bit off-balance.”

While Giles started slowly, Kearny forced the ball inside for the early advantage. The Komets, led by center Steve Daley, opened a 16-6 first-quarter lead and appeared on their way to a rout.

Giles, however, began to find the range in the second quarter. He hit six long jumpers before the half and three more to start the third quarter. By the time he finally missed, University led, 46-40, with two minutes to play in the third quarter.

Daley, whose offensive work was less noticeable that Giles’ because he was doing his banging away underneath the basket,led a Kearny comeback. He finished with 21 points, including a follow shot with two seconds left in the fourth quarter that tied the score at 60 and sent the game into overtime.

In the extra session, however, Kearny’s inside game was neutralized, and Giles took over. He stole a pass and raced in for a layup to make it 62-60 and then, in the final minute, he made a free throw to put the game out of reach.