Harriff Finds Rhythm to Lead Torrey Pines

Bounce, bounce, shoot.

That’s all he was thinking.

Bounce, bounce, shoot.

Dan Harriff, guard for top-ranked Torrey Pines, was told by a coach before Friday night’s game with visiting Poway to concentrate on nothing but two bounces and the shot when he went to the free-throw line. So with 32 seconds remaining, and Poway’s last hopes of victory riding on the possibility Harriff might fold under pressure, Harriff blocked out everything except bounce, bounce, shoot. The free throws that followed were pretty enough to be accompanied by Mozart.

Instead, they were accompanied by a 60-53 Torrey Pines’ victory, an undefeated Palomar League season and media attention Harriff sees about as often as the Falcons (27-1, 12-0) lose.

Harriff made two more free throws seconds later to extinguish Poway’s upset bid. The Titans (19-4, 8-4) worked hard, making a nice run in the fourth quarter and pulling within four with 2:32 remaining on a layup by Adam Jones.

But after stealing two errant Torrey Pines’ passes, Poway was unable to score. Then Harriff made two. Then two more. That was that.

“Excuse me, media star,” said Courtie Miller as he walked out of the locker room, past Harriff and a host of reporters.

Miller, usually the Falcons’ star, was solid if unspectacular Friday, scoring 14 points to lead Torrey Pines. Just typical.

Harriff, in his own way, played a fairly typical game, too. He stole several passes, got dirty on the floor a couple of times diving for the ball and scored 11 points, most of them timely, to boost his team heading toward the playoffs.

“That’s my role,” he said. “If we win games, then I’m happy.”

Torrey Pines didn’t cruise through this one as easily as it has most games. Poway, well prepared as usual by Coach Neville Saner, pestered the Falcons throughout the first half with quick layups by Greg Sorrell and solid outside shooting by Gabby Awbrey and Jay Blankenbeckler, who finished with a game-high 20 points.

Holding a 33-27 lead at halftime, the Falcons looked as if they would pull away quickly at the beginning of the third quarter, taking a 10-point lead.

But the Poway players wiped their brows in the fourth quarter and kept gnawing at the Falcons’ defense. A free throw by Jones pulled the Titans within two early in the fourth quarter. Kyle Armstrong, one of two Torrey Pines three-point specialists, hit one with 3:57 left to give his team a comfortable eight-point lead. Poway managed one more run before Harriff decided things.