Servite’s Downs Takes Over in Victory : Division III-AA: His big run in the fourth quarter is enough to defeat Magnolia, 66-57, and advance to the semifinals.

The game finally came to David Downs. He had watched others carry Servite through three quarters. Now it was his turn.

“I felt great,” Downs said. “I felt unstoppable.”

He was.

Downs lifted the Friars to a 66-57 victory over Magnolia in the quarterfinals of the III-AA boys’ basketball playoffs Tuesday at Villa Park High School. They will play Sonora in the semifinals Friday.

“I have to make it to the finals,” Downs said.

He started that big push in the fourth quarter. He scored 12 of his 19 points in the final quarter, including a three-minute stretch in which he scored 10 consecutive points.

When Downs’ run was done, Servite (19-8) had a 60-47 lead with four minutes left to cruise home.

Downs, a 6-foot-5 forward, scored on post moves, jumpers and even a jump hook. He basically made life miserable for Magnolia’s Todd Callahan, the man assigned to guard Downs.

“We felt we had a mismatch there,” said Kevin Reynolds, Servite’s acting coach. “That kid was either going to play defense or give up shots.”

Downs streak extended Servite’s season, which was foundering at one point this season. Head Coach Scott Hamilton was suspended after an altercation with an game official following a Sunset League game against Marina. The Friars were 3-2 in league play. They have won eight of 10 since.

“We told the kids that we were going to get back to having some fun,” Reynolds said.

The Sentinels (19-8), the fourth-seeded team, never found their stride. They are a team that likes to run-and-gun, but they ran and threw the ball away instead. Servite forced 21 turnovers.

The Friars’ Kieran Betts caused a lot those problems, as he forced Frankie Henderson, Magnolia’s leading scorer, into one bad shot after another. Henderson scored 19 points, but made only five of 14 shots.

The Friars led, 34-24, at halftime. Kristian Vallas carried the load, scoring scoring 15 of his game-high 22 points.

Brandon Hearvey, Magnolia’s 6-6 center, scored 13 points to keep the Sentinels close. He was finally neutralized by Mark Seaton, the Friars’ 6-9 center, who blocked four shots in the second half.

Downs did the rest.