CENTURY LEAGUE ROUNDUP : Orange Gains Sole Control With Victory

Orange’s Pat Harris, squeezed into a mass of fans, managed only a few words. They were well chosen.

“It was game of runs and answers,” Harris said. “We answered last.”

And loudest.

The Panthers survived, endured and outlasted third-ranked Santa Ana Valley, 64-58, before a standing-room-only crowd at Orange Friday.

They survived the Falcons’ relentless pressure. They endured the loss of a key starter. They outlasted one final run. And their reward was sole possession of first place in the Century League.

Both teams talked--with actions and words--throughout. But when crunch time came, it was the sixth-ranked Panthers (17-2, 5-0) who walked the walk.

They trailed by one with 2 minutes 49 seconds left, then scored six consecutive points. David Neal’s two free throws gave Orange a 60-54 lead with 1:41 left.

But, in a game that was one mood swing after another, the Falcons (18-3, 4-1) offered one final charge, pulling to within 60-58 before Neal and Harris iced the game with free throws.

“This team has really matured this year,” Orange Coach Richard Bossenmeyer said. “They always played hard. They’ve taken that to the next level.”

The air can be a little thin there.

“This means nothing, unless we take care of business the next (five games),” Bossenmeyer said.

Try telling that to the Orange fans, who swarmed onto the court after the game, carting off several Panther players on their shoulders.

Among those getting a free ride were:

Harris, a 6-foot-2 forward, who came into the game averaging less than 10 points. He scored 19, including 11 in the fourth quarter.

Neal, the Panthers’ point guard, who had the unenviable task of bringing the ball up against various pressure defenses. The Panthers turned over the ball 19 times, but Neal was smooth and got the ball into the right hands, namely those of Gil Gonzales.

Gonzales, a somewhat slow, a wee-bit awkward-looking guard, who scored 22 points. He made five of eight three-pointers.

Their play enabled the Panthers to overcome the loss of center Jason Krauss, who suffered a knee injury in the second quarter. He had scored 10 points.

“They’re a solid team,” Falcon Coach Rich Prospero said. “They have solid players and they have solid coaches.”

Orange jumped to a 13-4 lead, as Gonzales scored seven points in the first four minutes. Their lead extended like a yo-yo, as the Falcons got down, then climbed back.

But this was far from the Santa Ana Valley team that had smothered every Orange County team in its path this season. The Falcons’ only losses were to Lynwood and Bellflower St. John Bosco.

Olujimi Mann, the Falcons’ sophomore point guard, looked every bit a sophomore. He was 6 of 19 from the field and 0 for 8 in the fourth quarter. With their catalyst struggling, the Falcons’ offense meandered. But they kept pace with raw talent.

Santa Ana Valley chased Orange throughout the first half and finally took their first lead, 43-41, at the end of the third quarter. The Falcons went up by four to start the fourth quarter, but could not hold it.

“We kept calm,” Harris said. “We knew we could run our offense. We knew we could beat this team.”

In other league games:

El Modena 77, Foothill 64--Ryan Villmer had 18 points and 11 rebounds and Kirk Jensen added 13 points for visiting El Modena (8-13, 2-3).

Canyon 49, Villa Park 41--John Werhas scored 15 points for visiting Canyon (7-11, 2-3).