San Diego Section 3-A Basketball : Monte Vista Upsets Mount Carmel

Monte Vista High School came looking for respect for itself and the Grossmont League when it arrived at Serra High School Tuesday night for a San Diego Section 3-A boys’ basketball semifinal game against No. 2-ranked Mount Carmel.

The Monarchs came away with respect and a whole lot more as forward Wayne Hallman’s key block late in the game gave unranked Monte Vista a 44-43 victory.

Monte Vista will play for the section championship Saturday night in the San Diego Sports Arena against the winner of tonight’s game between No. 1-ranked Morse and co-Grossmont League champion Mount Miguel. It is the first time Monte Vista (19-5) has advanced to the finals since it won the section title in 1971.

“People were telling us how the Grossmont League is nothing,” said Hallman, who led Monte Vista with 11 points. “We thought if we could get the chance, we could do it.”

Neither team played well in the final two minutes after being no more than six points apart throughout the game.

Monte Vista was held scoreless the final 1:50 after guard Feliz Para hit two free throws to give the Monarchs a 44-41 lead.

Mount Carmel (21-4) cut the lead to one when David Gazale scored with 1:10 left.

Guard James Fraser missed two attempts at a one-and-one for Monte Vista. Hallman blocked a shot by Eric Olander with 13 seconds remaining, and a desperation shot by Mount Carmel missed at the buzzer.

Girls

Point Loma 67, Mt. Carmel 27--Point Loma’s Terri Mann was her usual dominating self as the 6-2 All-American forward celebrated her birthday with 31 points and 25 rebounds for the Pointers in a 3-A semifinal at Serra. Point Loma advances to the San Deigo Section final against today’s Vista-Santana winner Saturday in the San Diego Sports Arena. The Pointers have won three consecutive section titles.

Point Loma (30-0) used scoring bursts of 16-0 in the first half and 14-0 in the second half to run away from Mt. Carmel (22-5)). Mt. Carmel, which could score only four points in each of the first and third quarters, was led by Kara Warner’s seven points and Jones added six.

Liza Carillo scored 16 points for Point Loma.