VALLEY ROUNDUP : 4th-Quarter Rally Lifts N. Hollywood Over Dorsey, 56-54

Sophomore guard Robert Hill sank an off-balance, four-foot jump shot with 34 seconds to play and reserve guard Duane Braxton added a free throw 17 seconds later to cap a magnificent rally and give North Hollywood High a 56-54 nonleague victory Tuesday over visiting Dorsey.

The Huskies (7-0) trailed, 47-34, after Dorsey’s Shaunde Fritz made a buzzer-beating three-point shot to end the third quarter. North Hollywood, however, began the final period with a 12-2 run and outscored Dorsey, 22-7.

“We were never beaten,” Hill said. “No matter what happens, we never give up. I think we were just a little intimidated at first.”

North Hollywood Coach Steve Miller labeled the Huskies’ performance both their best and worst of the season. North Hollywood committed 13 turnovers in the first half and trailed, 27-19, at halftime.

Dorsey (5-2), ranked 13th in the state by at least one publication, pressured the Huskies into making bad passes and contained senior center Dana Jones with a shifting man-to-man defense.

“They had good help, good rotation,” said Jones, who scored only six points in the first half but finished with a game-high 17. “(The points) came real slow. But I knew we weren’t beaten. We were just out of sync in the beginning.”

Jones scored six points in the fourth quarter, including a slam-dunk and foul shot to pull North Hollywood to within 54-51 with 2:05 to play.