BOYS’ BASKETBALL : Village Christian Has Prayer Answered, 61-47

Perhaps Village Christian’s Chad Hanson should have sensed something when the 30-foot prayer he launched at the end of first quarter banked into the net.

With Crusader star David Gustafson in foul trouble, Hanson took control and led host Village Christian to a 61-47 Alpha League-clinching victory over L.A. Baptist Friday night.

“(Hanson) really took control out there,” said Gustafson, who came into the game averaging 25.9 points.

“I saw that on the bench when I was watching (him).”

With L.A. Baptist (16-7, 8-2) playing a soft matchup zone, Village Christian (17-6, 10-0) penetrated the gaps with its guards--Hanson and Gustafson, who each scored 18 points, and Kiko Banos, who added 11.

“Kiko, Chad and David work really well together,” Village Christian Coach Brian Gibson said above the din of a still-raucous crowd.

“I just said let’s penetrate and shoot the gaps, and it worked effectively.”

At the end, Village Christian fans confidently held up three fingers, celebrating a third consecutive league title.

But it didn’t come easily, especially after a couple of whistles midway through the third quarter.

The first whistle was foul No. 3 against Gustafson. The second whistle was foul No. 4.

“I was pretty (angry) at the second call,” the 6-2 Gustafson said.

At that point, with 4:14 left in the third quarter, Village Christian led, 37-31. Behind strong post play from 6-2 center Kevin Aust, who had 17 points, the Vikings cut the lead to four at the end of the third quarter.

But in the fourth quarter, while Gustafson stood near the three-point line trying to avoid his fifth foul, Hanson and Banos penetrated the Viking defense. They scored the Crusaders’ first 11 points of the fourth quarter, and with less than three minutes to play, Village Christian had a 52-41 lead.