HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Williams Rescues Saugus in Double Overtime

It might not have been the most important basketball game in the Foothill League this year, but it could have been the most exciting, as host Saugus tied it at the end of regulation Tuesday then defeated Burroughs, 69-68, in double overtime.

Junior forward Mike Williams, who--along with teammate Mike Thompson--finished with a game-high 23 points, saved his best for last and saved the Centurions (5-12, 2-4).

Williams grabbed a missed free throw by Gabe Colon (19 points), drove the length of the floor and passed to Jeff Rogers, who hit a layup before the buzzer to tie the game, 58-58, and force overtime. Then, with 13 seconds left in the second overtime, Williams sank two free throws that gave Saugus its final points.

In other boys’ games:

Canyon 68, Burbank 64--Greg Minor scored a game-high 22 points, including six three-point baskets, to help the visiting Cowboys (3-3 in league play) beat Burbank in a Foothill League game.

Brentwood 51, Faith Baptist 38--The Contenders (10-9, 3-4) were outscored, 18-7, in the third quarter as Brentwood (13-5, 5-2) jumped to a 12-point lead in a Delphic League game.

L.A. Baptist 71, Western Christian 67 (OT)--Zaki Rabadi (11 points) and Bill Meredith (12) each scored four points in the overtime period to lead L.A. Baptist to an Alpha League victory over visiting Western Christian.

Wise Community 44, Highland Hall 42 (OT)--The Hawks (0-14, 0-5 in Westside League play) outscored Wise, 16-9, in the fourth quarter to force overtime, but John Swazz (11 points) made the only shot in the extra period, a layup off an offensive rebound at the buzzer.

Paraclete 69, Silver Valley 58--All 11 Paraclete players scored to lift the Spirits (8-10, 5-3) past Silver Valley (4-12, 2-6) in a High-Desert League game.

Southwestern Academy 52, Valley Torah 43--Playing without Jordan Ness, the team leader in assists, steals and points, Valley Torah was defeated in the Valley League game at Southwestern Academy.

Campbell Hall 82, Bel-Air Prep 71--The hot shooting of Rowan Pearson (seven for 11) and Alex Lopez (eight for 13) helped the Vikings to their fourth consecutive victory. Pearson and Lopez each had 21 points as Campbell Hall improved to 9-8, 5-1 in Delphic League play.

GIRLS’ BASKETBALL

Buena 65, San Marcos 24--Mikko Giordano scored 23 points and had 18 rebounds as Buena (12-2) improved to 8-0 in Channel League play.

Taft 56, Reseda 20--Marcella Hairapetian scored eight points and had 10 assists for host Taft (4-4, 2-1) in a Northwest Valley Conference game.

Newbury Park 57, Camarillo 42--Janim Halsey scored 13 of her game-high 15 points in the fourth quarter for host Newbury Park (15-5, 7-2) in a Marmonte League game. Joy Garcia led Camarillo with 10 points.

L.A. Lutheran 43, Viewpoint 37 (OT)--L.A. Lutheran outscored visiting Viewpoint, 6-0, in overtime of the Heritage League game. Deonna Olson scored 15 points and had 10 rebounds for L.A. Lutheran (12-3, 8-1).

Burbank 51, Canyon 50--Mandy Villasenor’s jump shot with 27 seconds left was the game-winner and helped the Bulldogs (10-7, 3-3 in the Foothill League) overcome a six-point fourth-quarter deficit.

Bell-Jeff 60, La Salle 35--The Guards’ 15th victory in a row was a breeze after they jumped out to a 36-13 halftime lead. Christina Ticsay had 16 points and Cathy Flores and Lori Talley 13 each for Bell-Jeff, which improved to 19-2, 7-0 in the Camino Real League.

Thousand Oaks 63, Simi Valley 30--Marion Jones scored 10 of her 19 points in the first quarter to help visiting Thousand Oaks to its 20th victory of the season without a loss.