Crescenta Valley boys’ basketball upends Compton in OT, advances to semis
Behind a clutch shooting performance from Tyler Carlson, the Crescenta Valley High boys’ basketball team is heading to the semifinals for the first time in six seasons.
Crescenta Valley needed all it could get from Carlson, a junior guard, to survive a stern test Thursday.
Carlson finished with a team-high 35 points, including 10 three-pointers, to lift fourth-seeded Crescenta Valley to a 66-62 overtime road win against Compton in a CIF Southern Section Division II-A quarterfinal contest.
Crescenta Valley (26-4) will stay on the road for a third straight playoff game and face top-seeded Colony (25-5) in a semifinal tilt at 7 p.m. Saturday.
“Tyler saved us in the first half and he was tremendous throughout,” said Crescenta Valley coach Shawn Zargarian, who got 10 points and 10 rebounds from Andreyas Boghossian and 14 rebounds from Chuck Meyer. “He’s calm and poised. Tyler knocked down some big shots throughout the game.
“The team really stepped it up all game and in a tough place to play. We’re used to being on the road and we’ve gotten some big wins on the road.”
It will mark the first time since 2013 that the Falcons, who took second in the Pacific League and have won 12 games in a row, will appear in the semifinals.
Crescenta Valley and Compton (22-9, second in the Moore League) were tied at 60 at end the end of regulation after Compton held a 46-45 lead entering the fourth quarter.The Falcons grabbed a 62-60 lead with 29 seconds left in overtime before Boghossian made two free throws with 11 seconds left to cap the scoring.
Carlson collected 23 first-half points to help the Falcons take a 31-29 halftime lead.
The Falcons received eight points from Danny Khani and seven from Alex Zohouralen.
Colony, posted a 64-38 road semifinal win against West Ranch on Thursday.
“Colony is a very established program with CIF titles,” said Zargarian, whose team picked up earlier playoff victories against Diamond Ranch and Culver City. “I have a lot of respect for that program, but we are no pushovers.”
Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich
