LOS ALAMITOS – With just over 10 seconds left in the game and the score tied, Los Alamitos guard Hayden Smith made a crucial decision that lifted the Griffins to a 63-61 victory over Gahr in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 1AA playoffs Friday night.
Smith opted to drive to the basket for a layup when he saw that Gahr’s defense was not going to allow the Griffins to get the ball to Jacob Eyman. Gahr’s Gary Williams was called for goaltending on Smith’s shot.
The Griffins (22-6) were able to celebrate and move on to the third round after Williams missed a potential winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.
“Coach (Eddie Courtemarche) drew up a play and it really wasn’t working out, and I saw Jacob was double-teamed, so I splashed to the basket,” Smith said. “(I) threw it up and it got goaltended.”
The Griffins will play the winner of Etiwanda-Village Christian on Tuesday.
“We have a pretty tough group, so they know what to do at times,” Courtemarche said. “Gahr had a lot of scorers and we knew they were going to go on runs.”
The Gladiators (18-10) started the game on an 8-3 run before Griffins guard Joseph Riley helped Los Al respond with a 9-0 run of their own. Los Alamitos led 18-11 after the first quarter.
In the second, it seemed as if every time Gahr inched back into the game, Los Al would make a shot on the other end and the Griffins led by 10 at halftime.
“We came out and kind of got hit with the atmosphere and missed some shots,” Gahr coach Ricky Roper said.
Eyman was plagued by foul trouble in the first half but came out red hot in the third quarter. Williams and Marvin Bragg made a couple of 3-pointers in the period and the Gladiators trailed by one entering the fourth.
Williams stayed hot in the fourth and scored all but two of Gahr’s points in the period.
“Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good,” Courtemarche said.
Riley led the Griffins with 16 and Eyman added 12 points and five rebounds.
Williams had 22 points and Bragg had 16 points and eight rebounds.
