ANAHEIM – Katella overcame a 20-point, second-half deficit and got a clutch 3-pointer from Joseph Ramirez in the game’s final seconds to defeat Garden Grove, 67-64, in a CIF-SS Division 4AA first-round playoff game Wednesday night at Katella High.
The Knights travel to top-seeded West Torrance in a second-round game Friday night.
Edward Williams led Katella (12-13) with 20 points and 15 rebounds, but it was Ramirez 3-pointer from the corner that gave the Knights a 66-64 lead with 38 seconds remaining.
Garden Grove (17-10) came up empty on the ensuing possession and Michael Weston hit one of two free throws with 25 seconds to give Katella a three-point lead.
The Argonauts had plenty of time to set up for a final 3-point shot, but were forced to take a wild shot with three seconds left, due mainly to good defensive by Katella.
Garden Grove led, 40-23, at the half, but managed only 14 points in the third quarter and 10 in the fourth.
“In our last eight games, we’d been giving up an average of less than 45 points a game and they got 40 on us (in the first half),” Katella coach Rod Caires said. “It was a matter of us getting back with intensity and playing the best defense we could play. That was the big difference.”
Garden Grove played up-tempo from the start, passed well and shot often, hitting six of their nine 3-pointers in the first half.
Kyler Torres’ 3-pointer put the Argonauts up, 45-25, early in the third, before the Knights went on 10-0 run to cut the lead to 10.
Garden Grove led, 61-50, in the fourth, but Katella went on an 11-0 run, capped by Chris Cypert’s tying 3-pointer with just under four minutes remaining.
From there, the Argonauts’ only points came on three free throws.
Garden Grove’s Brandon Coleman led all players with 26, including four 3-pointers.
