PLACENTIA – There are those rare moments in life when thinking is completely overrated. Downright frowned upon in some cases.
Esperanza’s Kezie Okpala was presented with one of those situations Friday night.
Trailing by two points and the clock nearing zeros, Esperanza point guard Travis Kettering swung a pass to his sophomore teammate standing behind the 3-point line on the right wing.
There was no time to think, only a moment to shoot.
As Okpala’s shot sailed through the rim, the Esperanza students in attendance stormed the court, celebrating the buzzer-beating 3-pointer that gave the 10th-ranked Aztecs a thrilling 62-61 victory over El Dorado in a nonleague game at El Dorado High.
“It’s surreal right now,” Okpala said moments after hitting the game-winner. “I couldn’t believe it. I just caught the ball and knew I had to shoot it.”
In the fourth quarter, neither team led by more than three points. The two rivals swapped the lead 10 times in the final eight minutes, 19 times altogether.
The score was tied at eight different points, and after the 13-12 first quarter, the Aztecs and Golden Hawks mirrored each others’ point totals in the second, third and fourth quarters.
“You know, it’s unfortunate we’re not in the same league because we should be playing each other twice, not just once,” Aztecs coach Mark Hill said. “They played hard, we played hard, it was just one of those games, who would make the last play? Fortunately for us, it was us.”
Jarrett Brodbeck led the Aztecs (14-4) with 22 points despite having what he might consider an off night from the field. Consistently double- and triple-teamed, the senior wing only hit six of his first 17 shots headed into the fourth.
“I mean, it’s frustrating, but I’m used to it by now,” Brodbeck said of the extra attention. “I know league comes up, everyone knows everyone, so I just have to deal with it.”
The Aztecs’ go-to scorer found his form at the start of the fourth, scoring nine points in a 5-minute span.
The Golden Hawks (12-7) countered with their 6-foot-7, 220-pound center Elijah Mosham. The big man finished with a game-high 24 points, none more important than the three he scored with eight seconds to play.
With El Dorado trailing 59-58, Mosham cut to the basket and took a dump-off pass from teammate Jack Corbin for the lay-in. He was fouled on the play, and his free throw gave El Dorado a two-point lead.
Unfortunately for the Golden Hawks, a defensive breakdown left Okpala wide open on the game’s final possession.
“Missed defensive assignment,” Golden Hawks coach Ryan Mounce explained. “You’re not supposed to be staring at the ball, but that’s what happens when you’re young and in high school. You don’t follow fundamentals and they made a big shot. That’s why they’re the 10th-ranked team in the county.”
Contact the writer: kconnolly@ocregister.com
