Riordan’s Rally Sinks Centennial

It took Compton Centennial High four months to win 31 games and a Southern California Regional title.

And less than a minute to fritter away a state championship.

The cold-shooting Apaches committed two crucial turnovers in the game’s last minute and drew nothing but air on a late three-point shot Saturday during a 47-43 loss to San Francisco Archbishop Riordan in the Division III boys’ basketball championship at Arco Arena.

The collapse came after Centennial had the ball and a four-point lead with less than three minutes to play.

“They made their shots and some big plays at the end,” Apache Coach Rod Palmer said of Riordan afterward, many of his glum players gathered around him with tears in their eyes.

Things began to unravel for Centennial (31-2) after Darius Sanders scored on a quick step underneath the basket to put the Apaches ahead, 43-39, with exactly three minutes remaining.

Riordan’s Marquise Kately--one of only three Crusaders to score--buried a turnaround jumper from the baseline with 1:36 left to make it 43-41. John Tofi’s floating jumper tied the score with 1:02 to go.

Centennial turned the ball over on its next possession, and the mistake proved costly. Kately, who finished with a game-high 24 points, dribbled past Sanders, laid the ball on the rim and watched it roll into the basket with 25 seconds left.

“He kind of surprised me on how explosive he was on that last play,” Sanders said, his eyes red and swollen with tears. Then he paused. “I let my team down.”

Sanders could no longer go on, burying his head in his arms. Teammates standing behind him murmured “nah” in an attempt to console him.

The Apaches still had a few chances after Kately’s basket. Sterling Byrd appeared to tie the score at 45 with 14 seconds to play after scoring on a drive through the lane, but he was whistled for traveling.

Two seconds later, Tofi made one of two free throws to give Riordan a 46-43 lead.

Gabriel Pruitt’s rainbow three-pointer from the corner drew nothing but the arms of Kately, who was fouled and made a free throw with three seconds left to seal Riordan’s first state title.

Tofi finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Crusaders (31-4), who became the first boys’ team from San Francisco to win a state title since 1926.

Sanders, attempting to become the first boy to win four consecutive state titles after winning the previous three years at Compton Dominguez, finished with 16 points.

Sanders was especially dominant in the third quarter, scoring 13 points on six-of-seven shooting as Centennial turned a one-point deficit into a six-point lead.

But the Apaches went cold in the fourth quarter, especially from behind the three-point arc, where they missed all five attempts.

For the game, Centennial made only 33.3% of its shots from the field, including three of 20 from three-point range.