VILLA PARK – The Century Conference split leaves little margin for error.
So when Canyon dropped its Crestview League opener against Foothill, Comanches coach Nate Harrison told his team that it could ill-afford another slip against rival Villa Park.
Message received.
Chandler Dignam scored a game-high 19 points, and No. 9 Canyon captured a critical road victory against the Spartans, 69-56, in Friday night’s league game at Villa Park High.
“It was a five-game tournament coming in,” Harrison said. “We can’t lose. This was a big game for us, and this is the first game that we played a pretty complete game.”
The importance of the game prompted the Comanches (15-7, 1-1) to step up across the board. Nick Anderson battled the flu, and it showed early. The senior point guard missed four of his first six shots from the foul line, but he finished strong. Anderson ended up with 18 points to assist Dignam, and his defense was instrumental in helping Canyon gain separation in the third quarter.
Villa Park trailed, 38-25, at halftime, but a pair of layups by Cedric Thomas allowed the Spartans (10-10, 0-2) to close to within 10. Anderson halted the run by coming up with steals on back-to-back possessions. The two turnovers turned into fast-break dunks for Anderson and Dignam.
“I was a little shaky in the beginning. I couldn’t get a feel for my shot,” Anderson said. “Once that happened, I was just like ‘I’m going to go to the basket every time.’”
The Comanches built their lead to 19, and they remained in complete control down the stretch.
In the first half, Dignam shouldered the load for Canyon. The senior knocked down his first five from the field, all 3-pointers.
“My teammates did a good job of finding me,” said Dignam, who will be playing for Humboldt State next year. “We all stepped up as a team, and we got a big win tonight.”
Canyon will return home to face Esperanza on Tuesday before traveling to Foothill for a rematch with the Knights. The Comanches came up four points short in the teams’ first meeting.
Jojo Bush and Thomas made their presence felt on the inside for the Spartans. The duo combined for 23 points and 12 rebounds while getting several Comanches into foul trouble. Kevin Olsen added 14 points for Villa Park.
The Spartans’ next league game will be at Foothill on Tuesday.
