Granz, Jacobsen Open Doors for Crescenta Valley

Quick players are a boon for any team, but quick passes are better.

For example, the Glendale High basketball team boasts two of the Pacific League’s quickest guards in Paul Chin and Hai Tran, both noted for their ability to steal the ball.

But Crescenta Valley used pinpoint passing to find open players and won the league game, 69-44, on Tuesday at Glendale.

“All of us can pass, shoot and score,” said Falcon forward Glenn Granz, who scored a team-high 22 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. “There’s no real weak link.”

That was bad news for Glendale (11-5, 1-1 in league play), which seemed to pin its hopes of winning on shutting down Crescenta Valley’s Adam Jacobsen, one of the area’s leading scorers (28.3 average entering play).

Jacobsen spent much of the game closely guarded by one or more Glendale players. Despite the tight defense and a slightly sprained ankle, he scored 21 points.

The Southern Section’s all-time leading three-point shooter, Jacobsen attempted only five, making two.

“We didn’t tell him not to shoot,” Crescenta Valley Coach John Goffredo said, “but when they were running two guys at him, he’s smart enough to dish the ball.”

Jacobsen, who has signed to play next season at Pacific, had seven assists to go with six rebounds and six steals.

Another key for Crescenta Valley (13-2, 1-1) was forward Brendon Cowsill, who shadowed Glendale’s leading scorer, David Sofro (15.4 avg.). Sofro scored only 10 points, and three of those came after the game was out of reach and Cowsill was on the bench.

Edwin Bonilla led the Dynamiters, who had won 11 of their previous 13 games, with 17 points.

Cowsill and Kevin Jakel each scored 10 points for Crescenta Valley.

The game was ugly at the start for Crescenta Valley, which was coming off a listless performance in a loss to Pasadena last Friday.

Glendale jumped to a 7-0 lead in the first three minutes. But while Granz was at the free-throw line scoring the Falcons’ first points of the game, Goffredo pulled point guard Robert Miller aside and delivered a stern message: Move the basketball.

Including Granz’s two free throws, Crescenta Valley scored the next 18 points while holding the Dynamiters scoreless for the remainder of the first quarter.

The Falcons led at the half, 39-15.