STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT : Fresno Edison Hangs On to Beat Granada Hills, 73-72

The Welcome Wagon that greeted the Granada Hills High School basketball team upon its arrival at Fresno City College Tuesday night came disguised as a steamroller, as Fresno Edison, the Highlanders’ opponent, jumped out to a 20-7 lead 5 1/2 minutes into the game. By that time, the City 3-A champions had taken as many timeouts (two) as they had made field goals.

Then Granada Hills came back. The rally came in the last two minutes of the first quarter, early as far as dramatic comebacks go, but hardly too soon in this case. In what turned out to be a see-saw thriller, this was a game of seconds.

And when the clock showed :00--the time that matters most of all--Edison had hung on for a 73-72 victory in the quarterfinals of the Division I Southern California Regionals, setting up a semifinal meeting between the Tigers and Santa Ana Mater Dei for the second straight year. That game will be played Thursday night at Cal State Fullerton.

Steve Smith’s free throw with six seconds remaining clinched the win and in the process gave Edison of the Central Section (25-2) a win in the state playoffs over the City 3-A winner for the third straight year. L.A. Marshall was the victim in ‘86, also at Fresno City College, and Fairfax went down the season before at McLane High.

But to ask Granada Hills, the Tigers’ streak should have been broken. Or at least stretched into overtime.

Smith’s free throw gave Edison the one-point lead, but he missed the second attempt and Sean Brown grabbed the rebound for Granada Hills and passed off to Terrell Smith, who headed down court as the final seconds ticked away. Smith drew within 18 feet of the basket, but never got a shot off.

Highlander Coach Bob Johnson didn’t have to be asked twice for his view of Smith’s run, which ended a few feet in front of the Granada Hills bench.

“He got fouled,” Johnson said. “At least I thought he did. The officials sure left fast.”

Gary Gray scored a game-high 31 for Granada Hills (20-5), and Sam Puathasnanon added 16. Charlie Ross scored 25, and Andre Sims 15 to lead the way for the Tigers.

That the game would end with emotions running high was only fitting. It had started that way, too.

The father of Edison reserve Bernard Ireland died of a heart attack Monday, and the Tigers dedicated the game to his memory. “It (the tribute) made a whole lot of difference, especially at the end,” Sims said. “We really pulled together as a team to win this one.”