San Diego High School Basketball : Morse Beats Madison, 59-53, to Capture City Eastern League Title

With 23 seconds left in the Morse-Madison boys’ basketball game Thursday night, Morse guard Rey Parson stood on the court and led his teammates in a cheer:

“Mo-rse High, Yeh, Mo-rse High, Yah.”

Parson then proceeded to swish two free throws--a rare thing--for the final Morse points of the game as the Tigers defeated second-place Madison, 59-53, to capture the City Eastern League championship at Morse.

Parson’s free throws raised Morse’s percentage for the game a notch closer to 50% at 17 of 36.

Earlier in the season, Morse (8-1, 18-2), the county’s top-ranked team, needed to make its free throws to win, but against Madison (6-3, 16-7) it was the free throws that were as important as the teamwork.

Morse had 10 players score, led by Guy Henry’s 14 (12 in the second half), and Parson’s 12, and it was too much for No. 6 Madison.

Madison held a slim lead throughout the first quarter, with Parson’s six points keeping Morse close. The momentum shifted to Morse’s side when Willie Davis hit a 25-foot shot at the buzzer to tie it at 16. Morse scored eight of the next 10 points and held a 32-27 halftime lead.

Madison made its last run at possibly gaining a tie in the league starting the second half, scoring the first six points on a Robby Robinson 12-foot jumper, two Robinson free throws and an 18-footer from Jeff Harper for a 33-32 Madison lead.

That lead lasted 23 seconds; when Guy Henry swooped in for a left-handed finger roll, a foul on Jeff Alexander and a successful free throw, Morse was up for good, 35-33. Henry then added two more baskets and Parson got a steal and a layup. In all it was a nine-point run for the league title.

Willie Russell came off the Morse bench to score eight of his 10 points in the fourth quarter. Parson also had 7 rebounds, 8 steals and 6 assists. Robinson led all scorers with 16 points and Harper added 12 for Madison.