Crescenta Valley Can’t Win on Either Front

Crescenta Valley High was hoping to retire a number and some demons Saturday night.

Neither goal was accomplished.

With former All-American Michelle Greco out of town with her UCLA women’s basketball teammates, the school was unable to retire her number.

Buena High, the Falcons’ nemesis in recent seasons, did attend, however, and was quite unwilling to relinquish its stranglehold on what is developing into one of the region’s best, if not one-sided, girls’ basketball rivalries.

Buena held off the Falcons, 60-52, in a nonleague game between The Times’ No. 1 and No. 2-ranked teams.

Since the start of the 1995-96 season, Crescenta Valley is 0-4 against Buena and 97-8 against everyone else.

“It’s becoming frustrating,” said four-year varsity player Kelly Paige, who scored 20 points, a career high, for Crescenta Valley.

With Greco in the lineup last year, the Falcons were routed, 70-49, at Buena.

Without Greco, Crescenta Valley (16-3), ranked No. 2, rallied from an 18-point deficit to close the margin to four points, 56-52, in the final minute.

“If wishes come true, if dreams come true, we’ll get another shot at them in the playoffs,” Coach Damian Scribner of Crescenta Valley said.

Both teams figure to waltz to the Southern Section Division I-A playoffs.

Top-ranked Buena (14-2) has won 60 consecutive Channel League games, while Crescenta Valley’s Pacific League streak has grown to 35.

Kelly Murray scored 18 points for Buena and Kellie Erickson added 15 points, including three consecutive three-pointers to open the game.

Sophomore forward Kelly Greathouse had 13 points and 10 rebounds and freshman forward Courtney LaVere had 11 points and nine rebounds for the Bulldogs.

Sinnamonn Garrett added 20 points for the Falcons.

Crescenta Valley, irked this week by news that it was not ranked among the Southern Section’s top 10 teams in its division, hoped to make a statement against second-ranked Buena.

“We’re trying to make a name for ourselves, since the [section] doesn’t see fit to rank us and everyone who came out here tonight expected to see us lose by 40,” Scribner said.

A lopsided loss appeared likely after the Bulldogs took first-quarter leads of 11-0 and 18-5.

“They’re a good club,” Coach Joe Vaughan of Buena said. “They’re going to beat some clubs that are ranked. I’ll guarantee that.”

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CONTINUING A TREND

Buena and Crescenta Valley have compiled nearly identical records dating to the start of the 1995-96 girls’ basketball season. However, Buena, 97-10 during that span, has enjoyed a decided edge over the Falcons (97-12) in head-to-head competition.

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Date 2/24/96 Southern Section Division I-A semifinals 3/7/97 Section Division I-A championship game 1/24/98 Nonleague game at Buena 1/16/99 Nonleague game at Crescenta Valley

Date Resultwith comment

2/24/96 Buena 78, Crescenta Valley 50 Southern Section Division I-A semifinals 3/7/97 Buena 59, Crescenta Valley 55 Section Division I-A championship game 1/24/98 Buena 70, Crescenta Valley 49 Nonleague game at Buena 1/16/99 Buena 60, Crescenta Valley 52 Nonleague game at Crescenta Valley

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