Valencia Tip Is Magnolia’s Downfall in Overtime

Sure, Brea Olinda will go down as the team of the 1990s in the Orange League. The fourth-ranked Wildcats are on their way to winning their fourth league title in five years.

But Friday night’s battle between Magnolia and Valencia for sole possession of third place may have been the league’s game of the year.

It took a disputed buzzer-beater in overtime from Valencia’s Eric Dixon for the visiting Tigers to pull off a dramatic 52-51 victory.

In the final 12 seconds of the overtime period Valencia got off four shots, including Dixon’s desperation put-back that didn’t appear to leave his hand until after the scoreboard showed no time remained.

But as the Tigers celebrated and Sentinels pleaded, the referees, who might not have heard the final buzzer, went to the scorers table where they held a long discussion before letting the basket stand.

Magnolia Coach Al Walin contended that the basket was not good and said he couldn’t wait to see videotape.

But Magnolia center Asi Faoa, who said it was a tough loss, nonetheless disagreed with his coach.

“I think it was good,” Faoa said. “I was there. He grabbed it. The ball went up and in.”

After a horrible nonleague start, Valencia, which defeated Magnolia, 49-43, in the first round of play, improved its record to 8-15, 5-3 in league. The Sentinels are 12-12, 4-4.

“This was a real important win for us,” Dixon said. “We needed this win to stay alive and get us into the playoffs.”

Magnolia, which got 19 points and nine rebounds from Faoa, led by as many as seven points in the second half. But Valencia rode the shooting of Emanuel Ortega (23 points), who made seven three-pointers, and the last-second heroics of Dixon (10 points, nine rebounds) to victory.

Ortega’s NBA-range three-pointer with 16 seconds left in regulation gave Valencia a 46-44 lead, but Faoa tied the score with a six-foot baseline jumper with 1.7 seconds left to force overtime.

Another baseline jumper by Faoa, after a sharp cross-court pass from around the half-court line by Geoffrey Clayton (16 points), gave the Sentinels a 52-49 lead with 1:22 remaining in overtime.

Alex Aguirre got the Tigers within a point 27 seconds later with a basket and then it all came down to the final 12 seconds.