STATE PREP BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT / BOYS’ ROUNDUP : Artesia Beaten; Verbum Dei Wins

Lakewood Artesia High suffered its first defeat in four state championship game appearances, losing, 47-41, to Walnut Creek Northgate in the Division III final Saturday at the Oakland Coliseum Arena.

Before an estimated 10,000, Northgate was near-perfect at the free-throw line, making 17 of 19 shots.

“It’s hard to beat any team that shoots 19 free throws and makes 90% of them,” Artesia Coach Wayne Merino said. “I felt a lot of their trips to the line were questionable, but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”

In addition to having its undefeated record in the state finals come to end, Artesia also saw its 20-game winning streak broken.

The Pioneers won their first Division II title in 1990 when Ed O’Bannon was a senior. It added titles again in ’92 and ’93 with Charles O’Bannon leading the way.

This season’s team was a surprise finalist after dropping down a division with a starting lineup that included two juniors and a freshman.

That inexperience surfaced several times against Northgate, which never trailed. The Broncos (34-2) slowed the pace of the game with a stifling zone defense.

Artesia shot 36% from the floor and made only two of 10 three-pointers. It made three of five free throws.

Senior forward Kevin Daley led Artesia with 12 points and nine rebounds. Freshman guard DeAndre Moore, who averaged 11 points a game, was held to three.

Northgate maintained leads of four to eight points most of the game thanks in part to the clutch play of junior guard Frank Allocco Jr., the coach’s son. He made 11 of 12 free throws and finished with a game-high 21 points.

Verbum Dei 60, San Bruno Capuchino 59--Andre Larry’s basket with five seconds remaining lifted Verbum Dei to the Division IV title, the school’s first.

Capuchino (25-6) had a chance to win when Devoir Funches was fouled by Deon Williams with two seconds to play. But Devoir, a senior guard who finished with 14 points, missed the front end of a one-and-one and Capuchino failed to get the rebound.

“We wanted them to have to work to get the ball up court,” said Verbum Dei Coach Mike Kearney. “But part of that plan was not to foul.”

Said Williams, who finished with a team-high 14 points: “I thought the foul was a bad call. I’m glad their guy missed.”

Funches, who has played organized basketball for only two years, was too distraught to talk.

“This will hurt a little less in a couple of days,” Capuchino Coach Pete Harames said. “The game certainly didn’t come down to one free throw.”