FULLERTON – Crean Lutheran defeated Canyon, 63-61, Tuesday in an Orange Holiday Classic second-round boys basketball game at Hope International University.
The Saints (10-4) will play Temecula Valley (11-2) in the championship semifinals Wednesday at Hope University at 8:30 p.m. Temecula Valley beat Edison (8-3), No. 4 in Orange County, in another second-round game Tuesday.
Crean coach Josh Beaty has been trying to convince the Saints players to trust each other. Maybe they started doing so Tuesday.
The Saints scored four straight baskets on a series of sharp passes that led to easy inside baskets: Michael Bagatourian to Isaiah Johnson; Jake Conerty to Tim Ghita; Ghita to Bagatourian; and Bagatourian to Chris Swardstrom.
“We took our time, slowed down a bit,” Beaty said, “and then scoring opportunities presented themselves.”
That series changed a 52-52 tie to a 60-52 lead with 2:05 remaining.
Bagatourian said ball movement was crucial in beating the Comanches.
“Our whole game plan was to spread them out and make them chase the ball around,” said Bagatourian, a 6-foot-7 senior wing. “They’re quick and they like to double-team.”
Canyon kept battling and closed the margin, but missed a couple of shots down the stretch that could have tied the game.
Max Bo, a 5-8 sophomore guard, led Crean with 14 points. Bagatourian, Ghita and Swardstrom scored 11 points each.
Lucan Holden paced Canyon (7-6) with 14 points. Jaden Gallegos added 12 points for the Comanches.
Canyon plays Edison in a fifth-place semifinal Wednesday at 5:10 p.m.
Also at the Orange Holiday Classic:
No. 3 Esperanza 73, Great Oak of Temecula 48: Stanford-signed senior Kezie Okpala led the Aztecs (11-1) with 34 points. Esperanza will play La Mirada in a tournament semifinal Wednesday at 6:50 p.m.
Temecula Valley 81, No. 4 Edison 79: Randall Walker scored 33 points for the Chargers in their second-round loss.
Yorba Linda 60, Hoover of Glendale 54: Shaun Maeder scored 21 points and Garrett Freund added 17 for the Mustangs (9-5). Maeder made five 3-pointers.
Yorba Linda plays Diamond Ranch in a consolation semifinal Wednesday at 12:10 p.m. at Hope.
Beckman 80, Rubidoux 43: Dylan Thoerner’s 24 points led the Patriots (7-7). He is Beckman’s leading scorer at 18 points a game.
Beckman plays Menlo of Atherton on Wednesday in a consolation semifinal at Hope at 1:50 p.m. The tournament’s consolation final is Thursday at 3:30 p.m. at Hope.
Contact the writer: sfryer@scng.com
