Patience Pays Off Again as Santa Clara Notches 4th Title in a Row, 55-50

Perhaps it should appear to be this routine, Santa Clara High squeaking past yet another opponent, winning yet another Southern Section championship.

After all, the Saints have won four consecutive titles, the latest coming on the wings of a 55-50 victory over Pius X on Friday night in a Division IV-AA final at Ventura College.

Old hat, right?

“This has been real rough,” Coach Lou Cvijanovich said. “This is the hardest playoff we’ve been through.”

The Saints (25-3) won a quarterfinal by four points and a semifinal by two before entering the gym to face the Warriors (22-6). This was the Saints’ closest call: They did not take the lead for good until only 2 minutes 11 seconds remained.

Isaiah Mustafa took a cross-court pass from Chris Cole, made a layup and was fouled. He made the free throw to give Santa Clara a 48-47 lead, and the Saints ran off the next seven points to make the score 55-47 with five seconds left. The streak culminated when Cole intercepted a pass and took it full court for a dunk.

Art Barron made three of four free throws and Pius X turned the ball over three times during the run.

“They had more patience than we did,” Pius X Coach Dennis Gienger said. “On their end they would pass, pass, pass. On the other end we came down and shot too quickly.

“But that’s their strength. They’re a very disciplined team. They’ve played in these games before.”

The lead changed hands six times in the second half. The Warriors trailed by as many as eight points before intermission and were behind by six at halftime. But they went on a 10-point run of their own to take a 34-31 lead with 2:55 left in the third quarter.

A three-point basket by Santa Clara’s Chris Macias--his first field goal of the game--tied the score, 34-34, and neither team took more than a three-point lead until Santa Clara’s closing run.

As usual, Santa Clara’s scoring was balanced: Mustafa scored 15 points, Barron 14, Cole 12 and Stevie Amar nine. Jacobi Thompson led Pius X with 17.

Of equal importance was the defensive play of Santa Clara--Cole in particular. Cole held Pius X’s leading scorer, Michael O’Quinn, to six points. “He wasn’t so strong to the left, so I gave him that side,” said Cole, who had four fouls, two in the fourth quarter. “I made him do what he wasn’t used to doing.”

Another factor was Santa Clara’s dominance on the boards. Cole had 16 rebounds, Mustafa and Amar each had eight. Pius X’s leader, Troy Collins, had nine.

Barron sustained a mild ankle sprain during the second quarter. Thereafter, the Saints rotated three guards--Barron, Macias and Brian Clark. Cole, Mustafa and Amar played the entire game.