COLLEGE ROUNDUP : PCC Misses Chance to Tie After Buzzer

San Jose Christian and Pacific Christian again played for a spot in the National Christian College Athletic Assn. Division II national tournament, and as often has happened, the game was decided after regulation when San Jose Christian hung on for an 89-88 victory Saturday at Rosary High School.

The teams have met for the Pacific Southwest Regional title in each of the last seven years, with PCC winning five, once in overtime and once in double overtime, and San Jose Christian winning two, once in quadruple overtime.

Saturday, San Jose held a two-point lead as regulation time expired, but Peter Anderson had fouled PCC’s Dave Hesterly just before the buzzer. After a San Jose timeout, Hesterly, a sophomore from Calvary Chapel High, missed the first free throw before making the meaningless second.

“We shouldn’t have been in that position,” PCC Coach Lee Erickson said. “We didn’t lose it at that point. We lost it in the first four minutes of the second half.”

San Jose (23-11) made its first seven shots from the field in the half and outscored the Royals, 18-5, to take a 69-56 lead with 16 minutes 31 seconds left.

But PCC (24-12) battled back with its full-court press and the crowd, which made about as much noise as 150 can. The Royals scored 13 consecutive points during a 15-2 run that cut the deficit to one, 76-75, with 7:08 left.

PCC took the lead, 87-86, when Steve Siefken made two free throws with 48 seconds left, but San Jose’s Mike Allen got open inside and made a five-footer with 34 seconds to play.

Steve Tillet missed a 15-foot jumper with seven seconds left for PCC, and Larry Wilkins made one of two free throws with five left for the two-point lead.