Muir beats league rival Pasadena, 64-60

There’s a sign on the wall of the Pasadena High gym that reads: “Maximum occupancy 1,150.” Every available seat was filled Friday night for the neighborhood rivalry basketball game against Muir that for once actually meant something: first place in the Pacific League.

And when Jelani Mitchell made two clutch free throws with seven seconds left to seal a 64-60 Muir victory, it provided convincing evidence of the remarkable turnaround being engineered by third-year Coach Gamal Smalley.

A 1976 Muir graduate when the school had a student body of 5,000, Smalley has steadily rebuilt a once powerful Mustang program that’s now in Southern Section Division 4AA and has an overall record of 18-1 and 7-0 in league.

It was the first time in more than 10 years that Muir has beaten Pasadena in a league game. Pasadena was ranked No. 2 in Division 3AAA.

What characterizes this year’s Muir team is unselfishness, hustle and teamwork.

“That’s just what we do: We pass the ball, and we don’t care who gets the credit,” Mitchell said. “This is a team win. We love it.”

Players dove for loose balls, took charges and refused to get down when Pasadena (13-6, 6-1) came back from a 28-21 halftime deficit to take a 60-56 lead with 2:35 left.

Muir kept getting players to contribute in the fourth quarter even though two of its best players, Andre Frazier and Taturs Mayberry, had fouled out. Tevin Polk and Dion Nelson each finished with 16 points.

Pasadena gave up 10 consecutive points at the end of the second quarter when Brandon Jolley went to the bench with three fouls. Jolley came back to ignite a comeback in the third quarter, when he scored nine of his 16 points.

A decisive moment in the game came with 26 seconds left and Muir holding a 61-60 lead. The officials called offensive goaltending against Pasadena’s Raymond Jackson, wiping out a potential go-ahead basket.

“I’m proud of our guys,” Smalley said. “It’s an arch rivalry that lived up to its billing, but it’s just one game. Now we have to try to be consistent and learn from this.”

Mitchell said the atmosphere and intensity was “crazy.”

“It’s exciting; it’s basketball,” he said.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com