DIVISION III-AA ROUNDUP : Third-Seeded Western Upset by Upstart Alemany (12-16)

Alemany, which entered the game with a record of 11-16, upset third-seeded Western, 55-52, Friday night at Glendale College to advance to the Southern Section Division III-AA boys’ basketball semifinals.

“We got ‘em, baby. Final four. Final four,” Alemany Coach Kurt Keller said. “We’re creeping up on everybody. We’re shocking people. Our league is very tough, and if anyone doesn’t think so, they should come and play in it.”

Keller will get no argument from Western (22-4). Alemany, which committed just eight turnovers against Western’s pressure defense, took the lead for good late in the first quarter.

The Indians led, 29-20, at halftime, but things got tense when Western went on a 12-2 run to close out the third quarter and trailed by just three, 41-38, entering the final period.

A scoop shot by Tom Barraza, who led Western with 20 points, cut the lead to 49-48 with just over two minutes to play, but Alemany scored its final six points from the free throw line.

Richard Dice, who had a game-high 21 points, was four of four from the line in the final two minutes and sank two pressure free throws with 14 seconds remaining to put Alemany up, 55-50.

Western was dealt two serious blows down the stretch, the first when the Pioneers failed to rebound Steve Piszton’s free throw miss with 32.8 seconds remaining and Alemany ahead, 53-50. The second occurred just 10 seconds later, when Barraza fouled out.

Barraza’s replacement, Neil Hensley, was fouled with 17.8 seconds left but missed both free throws, and Dice rebounded, his team-high seventh of the game.