HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS : Division IV Boys : SDSU to Discover What Football Is Like Without Santos : Mt. Empire Falls, 54-50, to Christian

Chris Anderson, Mt. Empire High School boys’ basketball coach, remembers nine years ago when he would take his team the 20 miles or so up Interstate 8 to play Christian during the regular season.

“They used to beat us by 80 points,” Anderson said. “Nine years ago, I’d have been happy if I got within 60 points of Christian.”

In Saturday’s San Diego Section Division IV final, Mt. Empire was within a single shot.

In the final 30 seconds, the 1-A team from Pine Valley missed two three-point attempts that would have tied the game, and 2-A Christian held on for a 54-50 victory at the Sports Arena.

The biggest lead in the game was five points, which Christian held for the third and last time, 53-48, after two free throws on a one-and-one by John Halvarson with 3:03 remaining. Chris Noland countered with a layup after he grabbed an offensive rebound to pull Mt. Empire within 53-50 with 2:29 left.

Christian’s David Beezer missed the front end of a one-and-one with 1:03 remaining, and Mt. Empire’s Tim Johnson grabbed the rebound. Mike Bailey missed a three-point shot with 30 seconds left, but Mt. Empire got a second chance when Beezer was called for traveling after the rebound.

John Lelevier, who scored 12 of his 16 points on three-pointers, missed from that range with 20 seconds left, and Christian got the rebound. Halvarson was fouled and hit the front end of a one-and-one with 18 seconds left for the final margin.

Mt. Empire dogged Christian the entire game despite losing Johnson, its 6-foot 4-inch center, to foul trouble in the second quarter. He was called for his fourth foul with 2:40 remaining in the half and did not return until the start of the fourth quarter. The teams were tied, 43-43, entering the final quarter, but with Johnson out, Christian center Darrell White scored 8 of his 17 points, 6 on layups.

Underdog Mt. Empire made three-pointers to keep the game close but couldn’t get the final one to go when it needed it most.

“Everywhere I went they had Jeremiah on me,” Lelevier said.

Christian’s David Jeremiah hounded Lelevier in the closing seconds, not letting him get off a good three-point shot.

“I stayed on him, it was almost a one-on-one,” said Jeremiah, who had 17 points. “I just wanted to have a hand in his face.”