Long Wait Finally Ends for Chaminade

Chaminade High basketball fans have waited a long time for a league title. How long? Scott Long.

After 11 years of futility, years when just making the playoffs was a blessing rarely granted, Chaminade got 25 points from its star player on his 18th birthday and clinched its first Mission League title by beating Loyola, 63-51, Wednesday at Chaminade.

“[Winning the league title] is a compliment to Coach [Jeff Young] and his staff,” said Long, a senior forward who has played for Young for four years. “This is the first team that was all his.”

While Chaminade hadn’t won a title since winning the Santa Fe League in 1987, Loyola certainly didn’t make it easy on the Eagles (22-1, 11-0), The Times’ top-ranked team in the region and winners of 19 consecutive games.

Matt Mora’s short jumper got Loyola (18-7, 9-2) within a point, 48-47, with five minutes remaining. It was the fourth one-point lead of the second half for Chaminade.

But Mora’s basket seemed to ignite a fire under Chaminade, which closed out the game with a 15-4 run.

Chaminade, which never trailed, saved its best for last, forcing eight Loyola turnovers and outrebounding the Cubs, 10-2, in the final period. Seven of those were offensive rebounds.

The balance of Chaminade was never more evident than in the final period. Six different Eagles had a rebound in the fourth period.

“It was guys realizing it’s time to win,” said Young, regarding the Eagles’ team play in the fourth quarter. “Good people do things for themselves. Great people do things for each other.”

Chaminade, which used a 2-3 zone against the Cubs three weeks ago in a 19-point victory, switched to man-to-man for the second meeting.

“I think our strongest defense is our man-to-man,” Young said. “You’ve got to go with your best defense.”

But it wasn’t until the fourth quarter that Chaminade made the most of the switch.

“We just stuck with it,” said Long, who had 13 points in the second half. “We didn’t panic. We knew if we stuck with it, it would work out.”

In a game that was tied four times in the first, Loyola took its only lead of the game, 16-15, on the first basket of the second period on a layup by Gordon Hallman after a steal at midcourt.

A short jumper by Long gave Chaminade back the lead for good and the Eagles built a seven-point lead twice and led, 29-24, at halftime.

Loyola, kept alive by the sharp shooting of Robert Archer, who finished with 20 points, pulled within a point early and late in the third period and trailed, 41-40, after three.

Long, who had just seven points against Loyola three weeks ago, said he didn’t think about his past performances or his “recent slump.”

“We’ve got to finish off league on Friday and get mentally prepared for the playoffs,” Long said.

Freshman Scott Borchart finished with 16 points for Chaminade.