Granada Hills Puts Pressure on Cleveland

Jermoine Brantley swears it wasn’t nerves, that it was perhaps something he ate or some bug he picked up around school this week.

Whatever it was, the Granada Hills High senior was feeling a little queasy before Friday night’s North Valley League showdown with Cleveland.

No need to worry, as it turns out, because Brantley and Granada Hills used Cleveland’s free-wheeling, pressure style to perfection, beating the Cavaliers, 88-82, at Granada Hills.

“At the beginning, it was really aggravating me,” said Brantley, the Highlander point guard. “I was concerned how I’d play with all the pressure. I started playing and I guess I got it out of my system.”

Brantley tied for game-high honors with 21 points and had 17 assists. And when it counted, he was on fire, moving Granada Hills (15-7, 6-1 in league play) into a first-place tie with Cleveland (16-5, 6-1). It marked Cleveland’s first league loss in two seasons.

In the fourth quarter, Brantley scored 12 of his team’s 22 points and made the pivotal steal on defense.

Cleveland, which last led, 7-6, in the first quarter, had crept to within 79-78 with 2 minutes 8 seconds left.

Brantley, however, scored on a 10-foot jump shot with 1:57 remaining. In a blur, Granada Hills picked off an errant pass at midcourt and Jerry Allen connected from three-point range for an 84-78 lead.

After Cleveland’s inbounds play, Brantley picked Eddie Hill (21 points) clean near the Cleveland three-point line and raced in with a layup that pushed the lead to eight.

Hill scored on a pair of free throws and Kenny Collins added a layup, but the damage was complete--and the Highlanders had won for the ninth time in 10 games and 12th in their past 14.

Aaron Lattimore kept Granada Hills out front while Brantley was finding his stride. The senior forward scored 15 points in the first half and finished with 19. Osiris Nalls, Brantley’s backcourt mate, added 16 as the Highlander guards outscored Hill and Andre Chevalier, 37-28.

Three Cleveland players fouled out--Bobby McRae (10 points), Vince Herring (12) and Pat McCook (13). No Highlander fouled out. In all, Granada Hills attempted 38 free throws to just 14 by Cleveland.