HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Palomar League

Poway 74, Mt. Carmel 63--Poway shared the Palomar League title last year and returned only one starter, Kyle Milling.

But Milling isn’t Poway’s only weapon, as was evident when four Titans scored in double figures in a victory over No. 9 Mt. Carmel (10-6, 3-2).

Poway (15-4, 4-1) led by seven at halftime, 34-27, but trailed by three after three quarters, 50-47.

The teams were tied or exchanged the lead eight times in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter when 5-foot-10 Justin Kruse put back a rebound among Mt. Carmel’s towering front line for a 65-63 lead. The Titans made five of six free throws in the final 1:40, seconds and Milling cherry-picked a layup for his 20th point with 24 seconds left.

“The way everybody plays Kyle--they double-team him, triple-team him--we need everyone else to come through for us, and they’ve been coming through,” Poway Coach Doug Wealch said.

Kruse finished with 16 points and Poway’s other diminutive senior guard, Todd Fortney (5-10), scored 11. Junior Andy Davis scored 12 and junior Brian Nietz had eight.

The game’s momentum shifted back and forth and was often reflected in the free-throw totals. Mt. Carmel made 14 of 18 from the line in the third quarter when it outscored Poway, 23-13, and Poway converted 11 of 13 in the fourth quarter when it outscored Mt. Carmel, 27-13.