UNSTOPPABLE FORCE MEETS IMMOVABLE OBJECT -- Griffin David Huang collides with Cambridge defender.Jonatan Muñoz, International
International 25, Cambridge 24
Griffins edge Knights in ugly overtime thriller
By Ana Saavedra Banzer
Cambridge College
After having come very close to beating Cambridge twice -- once last year and once this year -- the International boys varsity basketball team finally turned the trick and defeated the Knights 25-24 in the playoff semifinal at Cambridge Thursday.
In overtime.
It was not a pretty victory -- neither team was shooting well -- but it was a sweet one for a Griffin team that has finished last every year since the League was founded, and hadn't won a game in recent memory until this year.
The Griffins now go into the championship game Friday against undefeated Christian Learning assured of at least a second-place finish, which would be the highest by any Griffin team in League history. The Knights will play the Jaguars in the consolation game for third place.
The Griffin players and a small but enthusiastic band of supporters burst into paroxysms of joy as time ran out in the overtime period, and the victory was theirs to have and to hold. The players formed a huddle and danced around the floor shouting while a downcast Knight team waited glumly to give them the traditional final hand slap.
The Griffins had been ahead for the entire regulation game, until the final few minutes, during which Cambridge first tied the game at 18-18, and then went ahead 20-18.
Griffin standout David Huang, ignoring a torrent of negative noise from the screaming, dancing Cambridge fans, tied the score by swishing in two foul shots with 20 seconds remaining.
Huang was the hero once again in the overtime. Cambridge had gone ahead 24-23, and the clock was running out again when Huang threw in the shot that gave the Griffins the win.
The Knights got one last shot -- but missed.
Cambridge had been missing all afternoon, and in fact did not score in the first period, at the end of which International held a 6-0 lead. The Knights seemed to be playing OK, but the ball just wouldn't go in the basket.
Cambridge has been inconsistent all year, hot for one game, and then cold as ice the next, and tends to play at its worst in its own gym. YOU NEVER KNEW what was going to happen with them, and in this game they were clearly having a bad day.
The Griffins, for their part, were not having that hot a day, but they were doing a pretty good job, especially in terms of hustling on defense.
Eighth grader Jose Ribera finally got the Knights on the board in the second quarter, and by halfrime the deficit was down to two points, 8-6. However, four of the Cambridge points came on foul shots, two of them on a technical called on an International player for unnecessary roughness.
The Knights for some reason simply could not hit from the floor, even on point blank lay-ups.
Not that International was rolling up the score. Their only basket in the second quarter was an artistic lay-up by Mario Rohrman.
Both teams were frustrated and upset by both the intensity of the defensive play, which was fast and furious, and their inability to zero in on the basket. The technical foul was a symptom of this tension and frustration.
As the third quarter unfolded, the outcome continued to be a mystery. Was Cambridge going to pull it out, or was International going to win for the first time this season?
The score was 8-8, then 10-10, both teams fighting for the spot in the finals.
The Griffins then surged ahead 14-10 on baskets by Huang and Rohrman as the quarter ended, and another basket by Huang at the start of the fourth quarter made it 16-10. That's where the score still stood with three minutes to go.
The action then became truly intense. Cambridge, which hadn't been able to buy a basket for love or money all afternoon, suddenly couldn't miss. The Knights scored three three-pointers -- two by Ribera and one by Daniel Kim -- plus a foul shot by Tae Han Kook to get to 20 points, while International managed only two foul shots to reach 18, with 20 seconds left.
The stage was then set for Huang to show his cool at the foul line, sinking both of his shots to tie the score.
In the overtime, Cambridge took the lead on a shot by Kim. Huang tied the score with a gymnastic lay-up. Kook nailed a basket to put the Knights back in front 24-22. That lead was cut to 24-23 as Rohrman sank a foul shot.
It was time for Huang to do his thing again -- and that was it. Suddenly the game was over.
For the winning Griffins, Huang finished with 12 points, Rohrman with 7, Ernando Tesch had four, and Jan Ivo Sochtig two.
For the Knights, Ribera had 13, and was high scorer for the game. Daniel Kim scored six, Tae Han Kook three, and Javier de las Heras two.
Christian Learning 51, Cooperative 22
Eagles cruise to final with win over Jaguars
By Trevor Reed
Christian Learning Center
The undefeated Christian Learning boys varsity basketball team beat a literally outmanned Cooperative team 51-22 Thursday in their home gym to advance to the finals.
The Eagles will play International in the championship game Friday, while the Jaguars will be matched up against Cambridge in the consolation game for third place.
The Jaguars had only six players in uniform for the semifinal contest, and it became clear fairly early that the Eagles were going to have little difficulty wearing them out.
The scoring was initiated by Eagle Danny Canaviri shortly after the game started. Two more Eagles baskets and one from the Jaguars quickly brought the score to 6-2.
A small scoring drought for both teams lasted until there were 4 minutes left in the first quarter, but in those last four minutes the Eagles scored 8 more points, while holding the Jaguars to a single basket. The first quarter ended 14-4 in favor of the Eagles.
Eagle Kyle Swope fell on his wrist during the first quarter and stayed on the bench for the rest of the game with his arm in a sling. He probably will not be able to play tomorrow in the championship game.
The second quarter started out with a burst of energy from the Jaguars who quickly scored 3 points while the Eagles tallied two. The Eagles then scored seven unanswered points before the Jaguars broke the streak with a free throw. The Eagles lengthened their lead to 18 points at the half, 31-13.
In the second half, Danny Canaviri again started the scoring, and soon afterwards he stole the ball and passed it to Tim Zimmerman who scored another basket.
After a basket by the Jaguars, Canviri got another assist, this time passing to Andrew Burgin.
Paul Estes, Jordan Newman, and Andrew Burgin each scored a basket before the end of the third quarter. Cooperative also scored one more basket, and the quarter ended with the score 45-17.
The Jaguars scored a free throw to start out the scoring in the last quarter. Four minutes then passed until the Eagles answered with 4 points of their own. Two free throws and another basket brought the Jaguars up to 22 points, and it looked like the game would end at 49-22.
However, with only a few seconds left in the game, Richard Ling made a long pass to Andre Larsen, who drove in and made the layup for two more points. The game ended at 51-22.
The leading scorers for the Eagles were Danny Canaviri with 15, Andre Larsen with 10, Andrew Burgin with 8, and Paul Estes with 6. Complete scoring statistics were not immediately available.
Griffins edge Knights in ugly overtime thriller
By Ana Saavedra Banzer
Cambridge College
After having come very close to beating Cambridge twice -- once last year and once this year -- the International boys varsity basketball team finally turned the trick and defeated the Knights 25-24 in the playoff semifinal at Cambridge Thursday.
In overtime.
It was not a pretty victory -- neither team was shooting well -- but it was a sweet one for a Griffin team that has finished last every year since the League was founded, and hadn't won a game in recent memory until this year.
The Griffins now go into the championship game Friday against undefeated Christian Learning assured of at least a second-place finish, which would be the highest by any Griffin team in League history. The Knights will play the Jaguars in the consolation game for third place.
The Griffin players and a small but enthusiastic band of supporters burst into paroxysms of joy as time ran out in the overtime period, and the victory was theirs to have and to hold. The players formed a huddle and danced around the floor shouting while a downcast Knight team waited glumly to give them the traditional final hand slap.
The Griffins had been ahead for the entire regulation game, until the final few minutes, during which Cambridge first tied the game at 18-18, and then went ahead 20-18.
Griffin standout David Huang, ignoring a torrent of negative noise from the screaming, dancing Cambridge fans, tied the score by swishing in two foul shots with 20 seconds remaining.
Huang was the hero once again in the overtime. Cambridge had gone ahead 24-23, and the clock was running out again when Huang threw in the shot that gave the Griffins the win.
The Knights got one last shot -- but missed.
Cambridge had been missing all afternoon, and in fact did not score in the first period, at the end of which International held a 6-0 lead. The Knights seemed to be playing OK, but the ball just wouldn't go in the basket.
Cambridge has been inconsistent all year, hot for one game, and then cold as ice the next, and tends to play at its worst in its own gym. YOU NEVER KNEW what was going to happen with them, and in this game they were clearly having a bad day.
The Griffins, for their part, were not having that hot a day, but they were doing a pretty good job, especially in terms of hustling on defense.
Eighth grader Jose Ribera finally got the Knights on the board in the second quarter, and by halfrime the deficit was down to two points, 8-6. However, four of the Cambridge points came on foul shots, two of them on a technical called on an International player for unnecessary roughness.
The Knights for some reason simply could not hit from the floor, even on point blank lay-ups.
Not that International was rolling up the score. Their only basket in the second quarter was an artistic lay-up by Mario Rohrman.
Both teams were frustrated and upset by both the intensity of the defensive play, which was fast and furious, and their inability to zero in on the basket. The technical foul was a symptom of this tension and frustration.
As the third quarter unfolded, the outcome continued to be a mystery. Was Cambridge going to pull it out, or was International going to win for the first time this season?
The score was 8-8, then 10-10, both teams fighting for the spot in the finals.
The Griffins then surged ahead 14-10 on baskets by Huang and Rohrman as the quarter ended, and another basket by Huang at the start of the fourth quarter made it 16-10. That's where the score still stood with three minutes to go.
The action then became truly intense. Cambridge, which hadn't been able to buy a basket for love or money all afternoon, suddenly couldn't miss. The Knights scored three three-pointers -- two by Ribera and one by Daniel Kim -- plus a foul shot by Tae Han Kook to get to 20 points, while International managed only two foul shots to reach 18, with 20 seconds left.
The stage was then set for Huang to show his cool at the foul line, sinking both of his shots to tie the score.
In the overtime, Cambridge took the lead on a shot by Kim. Huang tied the score with a gymnastic lay-up. Kook nailed a basket to put the Knights back in front 24-22. That lead was cut to 24-23 as Rohrman sank a foul shot.
It was time for Huang to do his thing again -- and that was it. Suddenly the game was over.
For the winning Griffins, Huang finished with 12 points, Rohrman with 7, Ernando Tesch had four, and Jan Ivo Sochtig two.
For the Knights, Ribera had 13, and was high scorer for the game. Daniel Kim scored six, Tae Han Kook three, and Javier de las Heras two.
Christian Learning 51, Cooperative 22
Eagles cruise to final with win over Jaguars
By Trevor Reed
Christian Learning Center
The undefeated Christian Learning boys varsity basketball team beat a literally outmanned Cooperative team 51-22 Thursday in their home gym to advance to the finals.
The Eagles will play International in the championship game Friday, while the Jaguars will be matched up against Cambridge in the consolation game for third place.
The Jaguars had only six players in uniform for the semifinal contest, and it became clear fairly early that the Eagles were going to have little difficulty wearing them out.
The scoring was initiated by Eagle Danny Canaviri shortly after the game started. Two more Eagles baskets and one from the Jaguars quickly brought the score to 6-2.
A small scoring drought for both teams lasted until there were 4 minutes left in the first quarter, but in those last four minutes the Eagles scored 8 more points, while holding the Jaguars to a single basket. The first quarter ended 14-4 in favor of the Eagles.
Eagle Kyle Swope fell on his wrist during the first quarter and stayed on the bench for the rest of the game with his arm in a sling. He probably will not be able to play tomorrow in the championship game.
The second quarter started out with a burst of energy from the Jaguars who quickly scored 3 points while the Eagles tallied two. The Eagles then scored seven unanswered points before the Jaguars broke the streak with a free throw. The Eagles lengthened their lead to 18 points at the half, 31-13.
In the second half, Danny Canaviri again started the scoring, and soon afterwards he stole the ball and passed it to Tim Zimmerman who scored another basket.
After a basket by the Jaguars, Canviri got another assist, this time passing to Andrew Burgin.
Paul Estes, Jordan Newman, and Andrew Burgin each scored a basket before the end of the third quarter. Cooperative also scored one more basket, and the quarter ended with the score 45-17.
The Jaguars scored a free throw to start out the scoring in the last quarter. Four minutes then passed until the Eagles answered with 4 points of their own. Two free throws and another basket brought the Jaguars up to 22 points, and it looked like the game would end at 49-22.
However, with only a few seconds left in the game, Richard Ling made a long pass to Andre Larsen, who drove in and made the layup for two more points. The game ended at 51-22.
The leading scorers for the Eagles were Danny Canaviri with 15, Andre Larsen with 10, Andrew Burgin with 8, and Paul Estes with 6. Complete scoring statistics were not immediately available.
