SOUTHERN SECTION BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Nixon Shot in Final Second Lifts Canyon

Canyon High, without putting the ball on the floor, moved 94 feet--in one second--and into the quarterfinals of the Southern Section 5-A Division basketball playoffs with a thrilling 59-57 victory over Capistrano Valley on Friday night at Canyon.

With two seconds to play and the scored tied, 57-57, the Cowboys used two inbound passes to move the ball to forward Jermaine Nixon. Nixon, who led Canyon (20-6) with 12 points, then buried an 18-foot jump shot with one second remaining to eliminate the defending 5-A Division-champion Cougars and throw the Canyon crowd into a frenzy.

“You practice the serious shots and you practice the fool-around shots,” Nixon said. “That’s the second time we did it this season, so it must not be luck.”

Not the way the Cowboys choreographed it.

After Capistrano Valley forward Scott McCorkle (game-high 22 points) missed from close range with two seconds to play, Canyon called timeout under its basket.

Forward Jon Civita then hurled an inbounds pass to Reggie Haggans, who immediately called timeout at center court.

No time had ticked off the clock, triggering a brief protest from Capistrano Valley Coach Mark Thornton.

Civita’s second inbounds pass hit a wide-open Nixon to the left of the free-throw line and the 6-3 forward didn’t hold the ball long.

Luck?

“I think at this stage, you have to be good and lucky,” Canyon Coach Greg Hayes said. “I’m not going to over-analyze it. It took a perfect pass from Jon Civita and a perfect shot by Jermaine. My goodness, I wouldn’t want to take it.”

Capistrano Valley (18-9) led most of the way and moved ahead, 57-54, with 1 minute 44 seconds to play on a three-point shot by guard Chris Kostoff.

Canyon tied the score with 43 seconds to play on a layup and foul shot by reserve forward Clint Beauer.

Capistrano Valley dribbled the clock away, finally calling upon the 6-foot-5 forward McCorkle, who has signed a letter of intent with Syracuse, for the final shot.

McCorkle, who made just six of 27 shots from the field, missed a six-foot baseline jump shot and Nixon grabbed the rebound.

Canyon outrebounded Capistrano Valley, 41-24. In Tuesday’s quarterfinals, the Cowboys will meet Pasadena, a 71-55 winner over Los Alamitos.