Van Nuys Constructs Upset by the Blueprint

The game plan was simple for the underdogs: Slow down the opposition’s transition game with a tight zone and force them to shoot outside.

That’s what Van Nuys Coach Kevin Kanemura thought it would take just to compete with Canoga Park in a Mid-Valley League opener Wednesday.

But the Wolves (9-8, 4-1 in league play) did much more than simply keep up with The Times’ No. 2 team, Van Nuys upset Canoga Park, 79-77, put an end to the Hunters’ 10-game winning streak and moved into a tie for first place.

Onaje Longmire’s two free throws with 27 seconds remaining broke a 77-77 tie.

“They were overconfident,” said Longmire, who finished with 27 points and 15 rebounds. “They came in all relaxed like Van Nuys is nothing.”

With plenty of time to tie it, the Hunters (14-3, 4-1) ran down the clock and called timeout with 11 seconds left.

After the inbounds pass, point guard Jamal Haqq dribbled around the top of the key looking for Mike Scarborough, who hadn’t scored but was supposed to take the last shot.

Haqq slipped, recovered and then frantically misfired a three-point shot with two seconds left. The shot bounced off the back of the rim and into the hands of Van Nuys’ Kris Hurdle, who had 21 points. Game over.

Considering that Canoga Park made only five of 26 shots from beyond the three-point arc (19%) up to that final attempt, a long shot seemed beyond a gutsy call.

“We were going for three,” Canoga Park Coach Ralph Turner said. “We wanted to win it with three and go home with a victory.”

Instead, the Hunters went home with long faces.

The Wolves, who outrebounded Canoga Park, 36-25, executed Kanemura’s plan perfectly, slowing the Hunters down for nearly three quarters.

But what slowed the game most were 69 free throws.

Canoga Park, which led, 32-31, at halftime, trailed by as many as six points in the third quarter, but forced Van Nuys into a running game near the end of third quarter and most of the fourth.

Van Nuys reclaimed the lead, 57-56, on a three-pointer by Rene Bernal with 5:55 left.

Canoga Park raced to a 73-66 lead with 2:49 left on a hook shot by Carloes Harper, who had 27 points and 12 rebounds.

But a basket by Hurdle capped an 11-4 run by Van Nuys to tie it, 77-77, with 1:15 left.

After a couple of exchanges, Harper fouled Longmire on a fastbreak at midcourt.