In the End, Santa Clara Finally Falls

A postseason winning streak of 11 games came to a painful end for the Santa Clara High boys’ basketball team on Friday night.

Santa Clara, which won the 1999 State Division V title in the final game of coach Lou Cvijanovich’s 41-year career, lost a lead in final minute and fell to Downey Calvary Chapel, 45-40, in a Southern Section Division V-AA quarterfinal at Santa Clara.

A three-point basket by senior guard Jason Angell with 1:12 to play gave the Saints a 40-39 lead, but Calvary Chapel scored the final six points.

It was the 18th consecutive victory for Calvary Chapel (24-5), which advanced to the semifinals for the first time in school history.

Santa Clara (17-7) trailed most of the game but Jonathan James scored on a drive with 47 seconds remaining to give the Grizzlies the lead for good at 41-40.

“I just had to improvise and go to the hole,” James said. “This is a big win for us. To get to the semifinals is huge.”

Santa Clara failed to score in its two final possessions.

Angell, who scored a game-high 16 points, shot an air ball after Calvary Chapel took the lead. Tim Drisdom was fouled after getting the rebound and made two free throws to give the Grizzlies a 43-40 lead with 12 seconds left.

Santa Clara had a chance to tie the score after a timeout, but Angell missed a three-pointer with four seconds left.

Jaime Banelos of Calvary Chapel was fouled after grabbing a rebound and made two free throws with two seconds left for the final margin.

“You’ve got to make shots in big games,” first-year Coach Martin Meyer of Santa Clara said. “You can’t miss as many as we did.”

The Saints shot a dismal 16 for 51 from the field.

Angell was six for 23, including two for nine from three-point range.

“I just didn’t shoot well,” Angell said. “And I take full responsibility for that. I’ve been having some tendinitis in my knee and I’ve spent too much time thinking about it.”

Angell’s shooting troubles may have gotten the best of him after he missed an uncontested layup with 3:00 left and Santa Clara trailing, 39-35.

But he came back to hit the three-pointer that gave the Saints a short-lived lead.

Senior guard Chris Post scored 14 points for Santa Clara but senior center Earl Hall was held to four points.

James and Drisdom each scored nine points for No. 3-seeded Calvary Chapel, which plays Campbell Hall in the semifinals at a site to be determined.

Santa Clara shot 25% (seven of 28) in the first half, but only trailed, 18-15, at intermission thanks to a tenacious defensive effort that limited Calvary Chapel to eight baskets in 24 attempts.