Fay Scores 43 to Propel Buena in Overtime

Twice on Friday night, the Buena High boys’ basketball team put its fortunes in the hands of Lance Fay and twice the senior guard hit the jackpot as the Bulldogs beat host San Marcos, 78-77, in a Channel League first-place showdown.

Fay hit a 22-foot jump shot for three points with 16 seconds left in regulation to tie the score, 70-70, and then sank a leaning 17-foot shot as he was fouled with three seconds remaining in overtime to win the game.

Fay scored a career-high 43 points as Buena (13-3, 7-0 in league play) ended San Marcos’ 22-game Channel League win streak.

“He made about the toughest shot he could make,” Buena Coach Glen Hannah said of the game-winner,” except that three-pointer he hit to tie it.”

Fay said that he felt fortunate his team won after having fallen behind by three points with 23 seconds left in regulation on two Rob Ramaker free throws.

“There was a lot of doubt,” Fay said. “When we got down in regulation, it looked bleak.”

Had Fay remembered how the Bulldogs erased a 15-point first quarter deficit he might have been more confident about Buena’s comeback effort at the end.

Ramaker, San Marcos’ 6-foot-9 senior center, scored 13 of his 31 points in the first quarter as the Royals coasted to a 27-13 lead. But While San Marcos (15-2, 6-1) hit 10 of 13 shots from the field in the first quarter, the Royals cooled off (one for 12 in the second period) and Buena rallied to within two points at the half, 38-36.

Buena charged ahead by as many as eight points in the third quarter behind Fay and the outside shooting of Nick Houchin, who finished with 18. But San Marcos came back to take a 70-67 lead in the fourth period before Fay began his heroics.

Carlo Campana added 26 points for San Marcos.