Extra! Extra! Granada Hills Beats Cleveland, 91-87

As entertaining as the first one?

Without question, doubly so.

For the second time in two weeks, Cleveland and Granada Hills highs went into overtime. This time around, it took two extra periods.

“Boy, are these contests fun,” said a beaming Bob Johnson, the Granada Hills coach. “I had fun in the last one--and we lost. I’m sure glad this turned out the way it did.”

It turned around and around and around, but the Highlanders beat Cleveland, 91-87, in a North Valley League game at Granada Hills on Wednesday.

The loss by Cleveland, its second at Granada Hills in as many seasons, kept the North Valley race interesting. A victory would have clinched a third consecutive league title for the Cavaliers (17-6, 8-1 in league play), who will play at Taft on Friday night. Taft (7-2 in league play) could clinch a share of the title with a victory.

Four players scored 20 or more points, but no basket was bigger than the game-tying three-point bullet that dropped at the regulation buzzer for Highlander point guard Randy Eason. The basket capped a rally from a 15-point deficit.

The Highlanders blew a five-point lead in the first extra period, but outscored Cleveland, 7-0, to open the second overtime.

Brandon Martin scored 10 of his team-high 26 points in the third quarter as Cleveland took a 64-49 lead with 56 seconds left in the quarter. But Granada Hills (17-5, 6-3) crawled back behind senior forwards Jerry Allen (31 points, 19 rebounds) and Adrian Sellers (20 and 15).

Sellers scored six points in the fourth quarter and Allen added seven, including a driving layin that brought Granada Hills within 74-72 with 48 seconds left.

Kenny Collins (21 points) answered with a six-foot leaner for Cleveland, but Eason drove the length of the floor for a layin to again bring the Highlanders within two. Shawn Bankhead was fouled with 16 seconds remaining and made one of two free throws to give Cleveland a 77-74 lead.

Allen missed a three-point shot with eight seconds left and Bankhead was fouled after grabbing the rebound. Bankhead missed the first attempt, Sellers rebounded, and hit Eason with the outlet. Eason sprinted across the half-court line and scored from 20 feet.

“He said he wanted the ball in the huddle,” Allen said of Eason. “We tried to get it to him.”

Eason’s bomb went through as the buzzer sounded, and any Cleveland momentum took a serious jolt.