Revenge Sweet for Huskies

There was, quite simply, no way North Hollywood High was going to let it happen again.

Coach Steve Miller wasn’t going to let it happen, nor was star center Dana Jones. Senior forward Harry Marks especially wasn’t going to let it happen.

It , of course, would be a third loss to archrival Grant in as many tries. And so, Friday night at Reseda, North Hollywood rode a crest of intensity that simply overwhelmed Grant in a City Section 3-A Division semifinal, 85-69. North Hollywood thus earned a trip to the final next Friday against Fremont.

The win triggered emotion on both sides of the court, as Miller and his team embraced joyously at the shedding of the Grant stigma that had plagued them since December, when the Lancers beat them for the first of what would be two times. Grant Coach Howard Levine left his team’s locker room after the game with tear-filled eyes, knowing his charges had come to the painful end of a brilliant season (22-4).

“We were as focused as we’ve been all year,” Miller said. “We’re still on a mission. It’s tough to beat a team three times in a year, and we’re competitors. Competitors don’t like losing three times to the same team.”

By any standard, Marks would have to be labeled the most intense competitor on the court. The 6-foot-3 forward was simply unstoppable in the fourth quarter, scoring 19 of his team-high 33 points.

“When I’m on, I’m on,” said Marks, who buried six three-point shots, highlighted by the game’s most memorable sequence. Grant had closed a 53-38 thirdquarter deficit to 60-52 with 6:35 remaining. Marks drove the baseline, canned a 15-foot jump shot and was fouled by Grant’s Keith Weinstein. After Marks made the foul shot, a Grant turnover wound up in his hands and he drilled a three-point shot to prompt a Grant timeout. The Huskies (23-3) led, 66-52, with 5:32 left.

Two Grant misses later, Marks set his feet behind the three-point line, cast a rainbow that hit nothing but net and North Hollywood led, 69-52, with 4:41 left. The fans, understandably, went wild about Harry.

Next stop, Sports Arena.

“Harry wanted it bad,” Miller said. “He hates to lose.”

“It wouldn’t be this sweet if if was any other team,” Marks said.

But even Marks will tell you that a great portion of his success was due to the play of the 6-6 Jones, who was held to six points in the January loss to Grant. North Hollywood moved Jones out of the low post all evening, creating opportunities in a suddenly spread-out Grant defense. Marks enjoyed the new set-up, as did junior Eric Jackson, whose 15 points (12 in the first half when North Hollywood built a 37-28 lead) came as a surprise to Grant.

Jones, meanwhile, flourished in his high post-floater position, nailing outside jump shots to go along with his usual flurry of tip-ins to finish with 25 points.

Grant received a game-high 17 points from Brunnel Mori, closed an early 19-10 deficit to 28-25 midway through the second period, but North Hollywood answered with a Robert Hill jump shot, a Jackson lay-in off a Marks assist, and a Marks three-point shot for the nine-point halftime advantage.