Capistrano Valley Squanders Big Lead in Final Quarter

Capistrano Valley’s 11-point lead disappeared in four minutes and the Cougars lost to Fairdale (Ky.) High, 72-69, Thursday in the Nebraska (Neb.) Holiday Prep tournament.

Fairdale forward Tony Wales put the finishing touches on the comeback, scoring on a pick-and-roll on an inbounds play with 11 seconds remaining to give the Bulldogs the lead for good.

Rashawn Morris hit two free throws 10 seconds later after a Capistrano Valley turnover to seal the victory in the tournament’s fifth-place game.

The Cougars (9-6 overall and 2-2 here), had a chance to tie the score but couldn’t get a shot in the final seconds.

Capistrano Valley Coach Mark Thornton said his team fell apart in the final eight minutes. The Cougars turned the ball over 13 times in the fourth period and took just six shots.

“We probably set a record for most turnovers in a quarter against not very much pressure,” he said. “We had a lot of ball-handling mistakes, and you can’t have that and expect to win.”

The Cougars appeared to have the game under control midway through the fourth quarter, when Brian Scoggin hit four consecutive free throws to give them a 65-54 lead with about four minutes remaining. Fairdale’s Brad Votaw was called for an intentional foul and then drew a technical for complaining about the call, setting up Scoggin’s free throws.

But Fairdale (8-4) responded by scoring 10 of the next 12 points to cut its deficit to 67-64. David Sedgwick added two free throws for the Cougars with 58 seconds left, but Fairdale scored the next eight points.

“We’ve been down late in the game a number of times this year, and we always find a way to come back,” Fairdale Coach Lloyd Gardner said. “We have a lot of confidence, and when we needed to play good basketball, we did.”

Morris led the Bulldogs with 23 points, and Wales added 17.

Todd Thornton led Capistrano Valley with 19 points, including five three-point baskets in the second half.

Coach Thornton said he was disappointed in how his team performed in Nebraska. The Cougars finished the trip with a 2-3 record, including a non-tournament loss to Fremont High, which is No. 2 in the state’s largest division.