CITY SECTION ROUNDUP : Granada Hills Surges in 4th Quarter, 70-61

Granada Hills High, the top-ranked team in the region, outscored Reseda by 15 points in the fourth quarter and came away with a 70-61 Northwest Valley Conference win Wednesday.

Trailing, 54-48, at the end of three quarters, the Highlanders (13-2, 2-0) employed an aggressive defense that forced numerous turnovers. On the offensive end, Jerry Allen and Adrian Sellers began scoring inside.

Allen finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds and Sellers added 19 points (eight in the fourth quarter) and 14 rebounds. An 11-2 run to start the fourth quarter gave Granada Hills a 59-56 lead it would not relinquish.

Granada Hills overcame a 47-37 deficit with 2 minutes 20 seconds left in the third quarter. “It was a great comeback,” said Allen, who is averaging 22 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.

The lead changed hands seven times in the first quarter and Granada Hills held a slim 33-28 halftime lead. It was only after Reseda lost Marquis Burns with a sprained ankle with 5:50 left in the second quarter that the Highlanders were able to gain an advantage.

Burns, who scored his team’s first nine points, came back in the second half and finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds.