SAN DIEGO SECTION BASKETBALL : Same Old Gang Captures a Third Title for Poway

Poway’s Jud Buechler did a little last-minute reading before taking the floor against Serra. But it wasn’t the game plan he had to study. It was the program.

Seeing Poway’s name listed alongside championships in 1984 and 1985, the senior forward said he was struck by the idea of making it three in a row.

Less than 90 minutes later, his notion had become reality.

There were 50 seconds left when the Poway students stood and began chanting, “We’re No. 1.” On the court, the Titan players gathered at the foul line and held their arms aloft in triumph.

A celebration certainly seemed in order as Poway defeated Serra, 74-66, Saturday night at the Sports Arena before a crowd of 9,264, largest in 10 years for a high school championship game.

Poway thus won the San Diego Section 3-A boys basketball championship for a record third consecutive year.

Dominick Johnson scored 28 points and Buechler 27 for the Titans, who trailed briefly in the third quarter before a 10-point run put the game and the title out of Serra’s reach.

“This one felt good--maybe not as good as the first championship, but every bit as good as the second,” Coach Neville Saner said.

Buechler, who made 13 of 20 field goals and had eight rebounds, said the full impact of the game hadn’t registered yet.

“I don’t think anyone will come close to our record,” he said. “When people look at the record book, they will know what kind of players Poway had.”

He also said the Titans’ week-long preparations for the Serra press had paid dividends.

“Their press actually helped us a lot,” he said. “We got the ball to the middle and took it them. We had the experience to beat their press.”

The Titans also had the size to dominate inside, as indicated by their 33-23 rebounding spread. Johnson was the top rebounder with 19.

For Serra, Steve Smith was high scorer with 21 points and Anthony Moore had 17. Smith also led the Conquistadors with nine rebounds.

“It was a good game until we made three straight turnovers in the third quarter when they went ahead by nine,” Serra Coach Tom Williams said. “You can’t play like that against a good team. I thought they were a little physical, and we could have gotten a few more calls, but they’re a very good team.”

Poway, like Serra, brought a 24-3 record into the championship game.

Unlike Serra, however, the Titans had four starters with experience in two championship games--Buechler, Johnson, Andy Byrne and Gary Anderson. They were part of the Poway teams that defeated Patrick Henry two years ago and Morse last season.

This was Serra’s first appearance in a championship game. The Conquistadors made it to the 2-A semifinals five years ago.

If the newcomers were nervous, it did not show in the first half. Buechler scored 18 points, but the Titans led by a modest 35-32.

Buechler, the 6-7 senior forward, had 12 points in the first quarter, when Poway built a seven-point advantage.

Serra, out-rebounded and hurt by the Poway transition game in the first period, effectively employed a press to cut into the Titan lead in the second quarter.

Moore had 10 points and Smith 8 for Serra in the first half.

Poway, which enjoyed an 18-11 rebounding advantage in the first half, made 45.7% of its field goals and Serra made 42.9%.

The tempo picked up and so did the Serra offense as the second half began. Two baskets by Moore and one by Deven Moran provided the Conquistadors with a 38-35 lead, their first of the game.

Buechler awakened with a couple of rim-shaking dunks to give Poway the lead again, 43-41.

The Titans then opened their biggest lead of the game, 49-41, on two free throws and a field goal by Johnson, plus a fast break basket by Byrne.

Sensing a championship, Poway went ahead, 55-45, as the third quarter ended.

Buechler and Byrne scored twice in the opening minute of the final quarter to lift the Titans into an imposing 59-45 lead.

With Johnson controlling the boards and picking up easy baskets inside, Poway coasted the rest of the game.