CENTURY LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Canyon Overcomes Pressure, Wins at the Buzzer

This time the race didn’t go to the fastest but to the steadiest.

When Brian Jalowiec tossed in a buzzer-beating 15-foot shot, Canyon had a 58-56 victory over Santa Ana Valley in a Century League opener. The Comanches weren’t the swiftest, but they had staying power.

Certainly their plod, pass and pick style outlasted the Falcons’ press and battery defense. It allowed them to bide their time, get good shots, then hold on for dear life at the end.

“They are really a dangerous team with that pressure defense,” Canyon Coach Steve Sabins said. “We did well to handle them.”

They almost didn’t.

Canyon (10-6, 1-0 in league) blew an 11-point lead in the final 1 minute 49 seconds, as the Falcons’ pressing defense was able to force mistakes that the Comanches had managed to avoid until then. They turned the ball over seven times in the fourth quarter and missed five of seven free throws in the final 1:25.

All of which gave Santa Ana Valley (8-8, 0-1) an opening. The Falcons made three three-point field goals--the last of which was banked in by Jermaine Robinson to tie the score, 56-56, with six seconds left.

But Jalowiec, who had missed two of three free throws down the stretch, worked his way through the Falcon defense and tossed in the jumper.

“They knocked the ball away from me at the three-point line and was worried I wouldn’t get the shot off,” Jalowiec said. “I just picked it up and shot.”

It gave the Comanches a victory over the league’s 1991-92 co-champions. They did so by playing patient basketball, which got them high-percentage shots.

Canyon made 24 of 42 shots; Santa Ana Valley was 21 for 56.

The Falcons tried to create as much mayhem as possible with a variety of pressure defenses, but they were unable to unnerve the Comanches. Twice, Santa Ana Valley opened up seven-point leads, but both times Canyon kept its poise.

The Falcons led, 35-28, early in the third quarter, but they faded when Tony Pappas began to assert himself inside. Pappas, a 6-foot-4 center, scored 11 points in the third quarter and finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds.

Canyon’s defense was able to frustrate the Falcons’ Anthony Porter. He scored 19 points, but was only seven of 16 from the field.

In other league games:

El Modena 62, Villa Park 48--Mario Perez had 15 points for host El Modena (7-7, 1-0). Robbie Wolf scored 20 for Villa Park (4-10, 0-1).

Foothill 67, Orange 57--Jared Winger scored 32 points, including 14 in the third quarter, and made two three-pointers for Foothill (1-0 in league). Pat Harris and Gil Gonzales each scored 13 points for Orange (6-9, 0-1).