HIGH SCHOOL BOYS’ BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Dream Ends for Crescenta Valley

The magic could only last so long.

For 17th-ranked Crescenta Valley, which overcame overwhelming odds to advance to the Southern Section Division I-AA final against seventh-ranked Long Beach Poly, the magic ran out in the second half Saturday night.

Poly defeated Crescenta Valley, 71-60, at Anaheim Arena to win its 14th section title.

Crescenta Valley had an 18-16 lead at halftime, but the Jackrabbits (25-6) pulled ahead for good by outscoring the Falcons, 30-13, in the third quarter.

The Falcons (19-10) never got closer than five points in the second half, and the Jackrabbits led by as many as 18 points in the fourth quarter.

Brock Jacobsen led all scorers with 28 points for Crescenta Valley, including four three-pointers, and Richard O’Neill finished with 21 points. Damion Dawson led Poly with 23 points.

No. 4 Inglewood 77, No. 5 Riverside North 59--Paul Pierce has done for Inglewood High what no other player has been able to do for the school in the past 13 years: he has given it a Southern Section championship.

At Anaheim Arena, Pierce scored the first seven points of the game, including two three-point baskets, to give the Sentinels (28-3) a lead they never relinquished in the Division II-AA championship. He finished with 22 points.

The closest the game got was when North’s Anderson Chilavo scored eight points to lead the Huskies on a 10-4 run over the first five minutes of the second quarter to make the score 24-20. Chilavo scored a game-high 29 points for North (28-1), the defending divisional champion.

But Inglewood’s Sam Turks made two layups in the next minute to steal North’s momentum.

Ralph Shelto added 20 points and had a game-high 12 rebounds for Inglewood.

Only one starter returned this season from last season’s championship team for North, point guard Demond Jackson.

But Jackson suffered a sprained ankle in practice last week and played only 14 minutes on Saturday.

Rancho Santa Margartia 67, Anaheim Servite 53--Santa Margarita scored the game’s first 10 points and never looked back en route to its victory in the III-AA championship at Anaheim Arena.

The Eagles (24-6) shot 57%, outrebounded Servite, and led by as many as 21 points in the third quarter to win the school’s first sectional basketball title.

Servite (20-9) missed its first seven shots and shot only 36% for the game.

Brad Finneran of Santa Margarita scored 26 points.

No. 19 Garden Grove Pacifica 63, San Dimas 49--Trailing at halftime, Pacifica readjusted its defense in the third quarter and won the III-A championship at Anaheim Arena.

Jeremy Veal of San Dimas (24-5) scored 15 points in 18 minutes to help the Saints to a 27-25 lead. But he was held to four points the rest of the way after Pacifica (27-1) started double-teaming him.

Jon Surface led the Mariners with a game-high 23 points.

North Hollywood Campbell Hall 46, Pasadena Poly 43--Alex Lopez scored 19 points and had six blocked shots as Campbell Hall (21-8) won its second Division V-AA title in three years.

At Pepperdine, Lopez’s three-point play with about a minute to play gave the Vikings a 43-37 lead. Pasadena Poly (21-5) rallied to within one with four seconds remaining, but Jim Snodgrass made two free throws to seal the victory.

The Panthers were led by Cameron Murphy’s 12 points and 13 rebounds.