Late Shots Conquer Camden : Torrey Pines (19-0) Pulls Off Upset in Two Overtimes

If someone had told Torrey Pines’ Courtie Miller that Camden High School’s star player, Victor Carstarphen, would score 44 points, or that Torrey Pines would trail by two with less than 5 seconds to play both in regulation and an overtime, he would never have believed his team could win.

Camden was ranked 24th in the nation by USA Today. Torrey Pines was ranked No. 1 in San Diego County but had never even played in a San Diego Section final. Camden had won seven New Jersey state titles in the past 10 years.

How could Torrey Pines overcome those odds?

Miller and the Falcons found a way Saturday.

Miller tied the game with a tip-in to end regulation and an 18-foot jump shot at the end of the first overtime. Then Kevin Friel dribbled past Carstarphen and made a 12-footer with 1 second to play in the second overtime to give Torrey Pines a 90-88 victory in front of more than 2,500 fans at the Falcons’ gym.

Miller hardly believed it after Torrey Pines improved to 19-0. Camden is now 8-2.

“We were little Torrey Pines that had never gone anywhere. Who were we?” said Miller, a junior. “Look at their record (now 432-53 in 18 years). They were ranked 24th in the nation. We thought No. 1 in the state was something to shoot for. How can you describe a win like this? It was pretty hard for everyone.”

Friel, who won the final game of the Lt. James Mitchell tournament against El Camino this season with a shot from nearly the same place, could hardly express his feelings about the game-winner but was sure of what it meant for his team.

“Now we get national exposure,” he said. “We wanted recognition because we’re a really good team. Now we have it.”

There were many times during regulation and overtime when it looked as if Camden would simply add to its lofty reputation.

After it trailed, 69-61, with 4:32 to play in regulation, Carstarphen led a 14-5 run and made a shot and free throw to give the Panthers the lead, 75-74, with 2:01 to play.

Carstarphen, a 6-foot guard, played that way the whole game, making unbelievable driving, leaning shots, 15 of 33 field goal attempts and 7 of 13 three-pointers.

His star counterpart, Miller, did not play that well until the game was on the line. He scored just nine points in the first half but finished with 36. And with five seconds left to play, he sneaked behind Carstarphen and tipped in Kevin Flanagan’s miss to tie the score, 76-76, after Camden’s Arthur Bussie made a free throw with 33 seconds left to put his team up by two.

“It felt like hitting a home run, like a warm knife through butter,” Miller said. “I never felt it.”

The tip-in would have been enough for some players, but Miller then swatted Carstarphen’s 15-foot jumper from the left baseline to assure his team of overtime.

Carstarphen scored first in the first extra period, in which he had four points and a steal with 1:38 to play that allowed Camden to take some time off the clock. With nine seconds left, Carstarphen drove the lane and dished off to a wide-open Denny Brown, who made a layup to put Camden ahead, 82-80.

But Miller again scored last. Guard Tom Underwood drove the length of the court through three Camden defenders and found Miller, who sank an 18-footer from the side of the key as time expired.

“I just let it fly because no time was on the clock, and it went in,” Miller said.

Camden scored again to start the second overtime when Brown hit a layup.

But Miller kept his team in the game. After making only 4 of 11 free throws in the first half, Miller made 2 of 3 in the second overtime, including one with 1:12 left to put Torrey Pines ahead, 88-86.

Flanagan had a chance to stretch the margin but missed the front end of a one-and-one with 47 seconds left.

Thirteen seconds later, Carstarphen made his best shot of the night. With two men guarding him, he drove to the left baseline, took the ball in his right hand, switched to his left while in the air and made a seven-foot fallaway in the face of 7-foot Neal Pollard. Camden 88, Torrey Pines 88.

Torrey Pines stalled for the last shot. Friel said later that the plan was for Underwood to dish inside to Pollard or Flanagan, as had worked so well all night, or hit Miller cutting across.

But when Camden collapsed its zone, leaving nobody open, Underwood passed to Friel, who dribbled past Carstarphen and swished a 12-footer with a second left.