HIGH SCHOOL BOYS’ BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Palmdale’s Lead, Season Slip Away : Southern Section Division I-A: After Falcons blow 16-point lead, Edison gets turnover and 65-63 victory.

When Palmdale High deserted its effective inside game and tried to match Edison’s outside shooting, the Falcons paid a heavy price.

Edison rallied from a 16-point deficit for a 65-63 victory Friday night in the Southern Section Division I-A semifinals in front of a rowdy crowd of about 1,200 at Antelope Valley High.

Chad Baird hit an 18-footer from the left side with two seconds left to put the Chargers (19-9) in the division final. The defeat snapped a 16-game winning streak for the Falcons (24-4).

“We took shots that we shouldn’t have taken,” Palmdale Coach Garry Phelps said. “And at the same time we couldn’t stop them outside. I gotta hand it to them, they were very patient.”

Palmdale’s 16-point lead came with three minutes left in the second quarter and the Falcons held a 56-46 lead after three.

But Edison bombed its way back into the game from the outside. The Chargers opened the fourth quarter with an 11-2 run that left them trailing by one point.

Forward Micah Kroeger hit a five-foot jumper to tie the score, 61-61, with 2:18 to play.

Palmdale’s Al Lairson hit a 15-foot jumper with 1:53 remaining to give the Falcons a 63-61 edge. Then Edison’s Ali Tofighi sank two free throws to tie the score with just over a minute left.

Palmdale tried to run the clock out on its next possession but Lairson was called for traveling with 30 seconds left, setting the stage for Baird.

Lairson, a 6-foot-4 forward, scored 22 points, but was in tears after the game.

“We were just trying to go for that last shot,” Phelps said. “We thought we could do that.”

Every Palmdale player should have been in tears after getting the second-half shooting statistics. The Falcons made only nine of 25 shots while Edison made 15 of 25.

It seemed as if Palmdale couldn’t hit anything in the final minutes. The Falcons even tried going back to their consistent inside game, but it was too late. “Well we were pretty bad in the first half,” Edison Coach Larry Hirst said. “And I was surprised that they didn’t press us more. But I was impressed with their athleticism.”

Kroeger scored 20 points for Edison and Darred Adams had 13.

Maurice Wright scored 16 points for Palmdale, including a pair of spectacular dunks.

* CITY SECTION

The Cleveland and San Fernando boys lost quarterfinal games, but the Taft girls are victorious. C19

* SOUTHERN SECTION

Campbell Hall and Santa Clara win their semifinal games, but Village Christian falls. C19