CENTURY LEAGUE : El Modena Scores 5 Points in 11 Seconds to Stun Canyon and Claim Championship

With 11 seconds remaining, Canyon High School appeared to have its Century League basketball game with El Modena in the refrigerator.

Unfortunately for the Comanches, El Modena’s Mike Terry pulled the plug. And when time expired, the Vanguards had their league championship on ice with a 57-56 victory Wednesday night in Canyon’s gym.

El Modena’s victory, coupled with Foothill’s loss to Orange, wrapped up the title for the Vanguards (16-7, 8-1 in league). Canyon fell to 15-9, 5-4.

Trailing, 56-52, on a pair of free throws by Canyon center Charles Sanders with 11 seconds to play, the Vanguards scored the final five points to pull off the miracle finish.

After Sanders’ free throws, Terry was fouled on the inbounds play by Canyon’s Eric Oliver with 10 seconds remaining. Terry hit the first free throw, but missed the second. Gavin Brown rebounded and put the ball back up and in to make it 56-55 with six seconds left.

Canyon’s inbound pass was intercepted at half court by Brown, who threw to Terry alone under the basket. Terry’s basket with no time showing on the clock was allowed, and the Vanguards had survived.

“We were lucky,” El Modena Coach Tim Tivenan said. “He didn’t want to do that (Oliver’s foul), but it definitely helped us out.”

Sanders paced Canyon in the final quarter with his rebounding, shot-blocking and six points, helping to make up for the absence of Kevin Wilborn, who picked up his fourth foul with 5:34 remaining in the third quarter. Wilborn became the school’s all-time leading career scorer with a basket in the second quarter to break the 15-year-old mark of 1,070 set by Tim Shaw.

Neither team led by more than six point when the Comanches took a 28-22 lead with 2:32 left in the first half.

Terry led all scorers with 26 points, including nine of El Modena’s 13 fourth-quarter points. He was 11 of 18 from the field.

“Terry’s a great athlete,” Tivenan said. “He came out this year and has done a lot of things for us.”

Abdi Barkhordar scored 14 for Canyon.