SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO – A winless record in league play will always carry a stigma, and the opportunity for pessimism to run rampant.
In a second-round playoff matchup featuring two teams who were a combined 0-22 in league this season, the St. Francis boys basketball team was the last to quiet its critics.
The visiting Golden Knights of La Canada held off JSerra in overtime, 52-49, Friday to advance to a CIF-SS Division 4AA quarterfinal.
St. Francis, which came into the playoffs riding a 12-game losing streak, will host top-seeded Crespi (21-7) on Tuesday.
“We had a chance to win,” JSerra coach Joedy Gardner said. “But I’m still proud of the guys and the perseverance they showed this year with all the injuries and challenges we’ve had. We just came up a little short.”
JSerra (10-18), last season’s 4AA champs, failed to overcome St. Francis’ (11-17) dynamic senior Michael Allen, who scored 12 of his game-high 22 points in the fourth quarter and overtime period.
“When you go 0-12 in league like we did, most teams quit,” St. Francis Coach Ray O’ Brien said. “Michael Allen doesn’t know the meaning of the word quit. He held this team together.”
The Lions managed to send the game into overtime with some last-second heroics from senior Dillon Kohler. Trailing 45-42 with 7.6 seconds remaining in regulation, Kohler grabbed Allen’s missed free-throw and muscled his way up court before knocking down a 3-pointer from about 26 feet away as time expired.
In overtime, Allen scored five of the Golden Knights’ seven points to secure the win. Kohler had a team-high 14 points and 10 rebounds for JSerra, and teammate Steele Brenner finished with 11 points and seven boards.
The Lions, who defeated Hillcrest to reach the second round, had a combined 12 turnovers in the second half and overtime.
