Division I Boys’ Basketball Playoffs : Layup Has Morse on Way Up : Underhand Shot by Willie Davis Beats Poway in Overtime

With 30 seconds left in overtime and the score tied, Morse High Coach Ron Davis made his instructions clear and direct: Lay up or pack up. There was no way he was going to allow momentum-carrying Poway another chance.

About 24 seconds latter, Morse guard Willie Davis made his drive to the heart of the key. There was a crowd of Poway and Morse players clogging the middle.

But Davis made an underhanded eight-footer to give Morse a 69-67 overtime victory over second-seeded Poway Saturday in the San Diego Section Division I playoffs at Poway.

Seventh-seeded Morse (18-9), the defending Section 3-A champion, advanced to the semifinals Tuesday against third-seeded Valhalla. Poway, the second-place team in the Palomar League, finished at 19-6.

Davis’ shot with four seconds left ended a fast-paced overtime in which neither team led by more than two points. Poway’s Greg Sorrell was able to get off a shot from three-point range at the buzzer, but it bounced off the rim.

Ron Davis had told his team to be patient in the overtime.

“We wanted a layup or not shot at all,” Davis said. “I would have rather gone to another overtime than to give them the ball and another shot.”

Said Willie Davis, who finished with 26 points: “It was kind of like a do-or-die situation. The key was for me to go to the basket. I thought I got fouled, but I didn’t here (the referee) blow it, so I tried to make something of it.”

Poway, which trailed by eight points (52-46) at the opening of the fourth period, broke Morse’s press in the final period and made its comeback, culminated by Dave Delaney’s three-pointer with 18 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime, 63-63.

Poway Coach Neville Saner had warned his team that breaking Morse’s press would be the only way to stay in the game.

“They probably played our press better than any team we played this year,” Willie Davis said.

In the first period, most of Poway’s points came from the perimeter. Delaney scored 14 of Poway’s 20 points and was the only Poway player to score from the field in the first seven minutes. Delaney finished with 30 points, including three three-pointers.

“They (Morse) played great defense,” Delaney said. “I don’t care what anyone says about them being a run-and-gun team, their forte is defense.”

Although Morse never trailed, the game was tight throughout. Delaney and Saner each said they were not entirely dissatisfied with the outcome.

“We were having fun,” Delaney said. “I wasn’t thinking about the pressure of playing in overtime so much. I was just having fun. I think we all were. It was just a bummer we had to lose.”

--CHRIS DE LUCA

In other games:

Mt. Carmel 61, Pt. Loma 52-- Guard Eric Olander scored 21 points on 15 of 16 free throws and three field goals to lead host Mt. Carmel. The Sundevils never trailed, leading by one after a quarter and by eight at halftime and after three quarters. Chris Conrad and Shane Knight added 10 apiece for Mt. Carmel, while Jimmy Griffin had 16, Beau Pack 12 and Jeff Johnson 11 for Pt. Loma.

Santana 59, Granite Hills 49--Stu Back scored 19 points and had 13 rebounds to lead top-seeded Santana at home against Grossmont League rival Granite Hills. Granite Hills led, 20-18, after the first quarter, but Santana held the Eagles to 6 points in the second. Joe Church added 10 points and 10 rebounds for Santana (23-2). Quentin Hollis led Granite Hills with 14 points.

Valhalla 65, Patrick Henry 59--Third-seeded Valhalla changed from a zone defense to a man-to-man as it pulled away at Valhalla. Patrick Henry (16-9) had cut the lead to three points midway through the final period. Valhalla (17-7) made its defensive switch to pressure Patrick Henry’s outside shooting. Rafid Kiti scored 20 points for Valhalla, Tony Clark added 16, and Rob Tubman had 14 points and 12 rebounds. Terence Hamilton had 34 points for Patrick Henry.