Pasadena Negates Crescenta Valley’s Advantage at Home

The Pasadena High basketball team swaggered into a gym “as tough as any in Southern California,” according to its coach, Bill Duwe, and rather easily handled a frustrated Crescenta Valley team, 77-64, in a Pacific League showdown Thursday.

The visiting Bulldogs (17-5, 5-1 in league play) held standout Adam Jacobsen without a field goal in the first half, and though Jacobsen scored 20 points in the second half en route to a game-high 27, Crescenta Valley never got closer than five points after halftime.

“Everybody said it couldn’t be done,” Pasadena forward Treyvone Towns said of winning at Crescenta Valley. “Muir couldn’t do it. We had to get it done.”

Pasadena, ranked seventh in Southern Section Division I, swept the two-game season series with the Falcons (16-3, 4-2), ranked fifth in Division II.

The Bulldogs, the only Pacific team to beat the Falcons thus far, relied on their aggressive, pressing defense to stifle Crescenta Valley. Pasadena had 14 blocked shots and 11 steals.

“They were definitely real physical,” Falcon Coach John Goffredo said. “Beyond physical. They took us out of our offense and we shot horribly. Our kids were constantly frustrated. I hadn’t seen them frustrated like that in any game.”

The Falcons made only five baskets and trailed, 30-23, at halftime. Jacobsen missed all seven of his shots.

“Nobody really stops him,” Duwe said of Jacobsen. “We just wanted to make sure that he didn’t kill us with 30 or 40 (points).”

Duwe need not have worried, though he might have had cause. With 2 minutes 50 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Jacobsen hit back-to-back three-point jump shots to bring Crescenta Valley to within 39-34.

After Pasadena’s Donald Guyton missed a three-point shot, Jacobsen drove to the basket, drew contact, heard the whistle and threw in a running, eight-footer.

He was called for an offensive foul, and the Bulldogs quickly boosted the lead back to nine.

“From the very beginning, we talked about poise,” Duwe said. Such poise was evident as the Bulldogs made 18 of 22 free throws in the fourth quarter, and Towns put a double exclamation point on the victory with two dunks in the final 2 1/2 minutes.

Towns led the Bulldogs with 22 points and teammate Tyrone Williams had a splendid all-around game with 16 points, five steals, five assists and three blocked shots.

Robert Miller with 11 points was the only other Falcon in double figures.