Trouble closing: Young Crusaders stumble in overtime loss to Central

Sooner or later, the Modesto Christian High boys basketball team will close out a playoff-caliber opponent.

Until then, losses like Thursday’s to Central High of Fresno in the semifinal round of the Holiday Hoop Classic will sting.

Highly-touted guard Cash Williams scored 27 points and Cam’Ron Wilson scored eight of his 15 in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Grizzlies ended the Crusaders’ hopes of a title defense with an 83-79 victory.

All five of Modesto Christian’s losses have been by four points or less.

“I’m proud of them, but we need to execute,” Modesto Christian coach Brice Fantazia said. “We didn’t execute down the stretch. Some of the things we do in practice aren’t carrying over to the game, but I told them as long as they come out and play with everything God gave them, I can’t be mad at them.”

The Crusaders led by as many as seven points in the second half – the largest lead for either team – but needed a last-second shot by senior Darrian Grays to force overtime.

Matched up against Williams, Grays buried a fall-away jumper with 1.2 seconds left to make it 72-72. He accounted for Modesto Christian’s final five points in regulation and closed with 25, but only had one field goal in the four-minute overtime.

“There was no other choice but to go to him,” Fantazia said. “He’s hit big shots like that all summer. He hit big shots during the playoff run last year. He lives for that moment. With colleges here to watch him, I knew he was ready and called his number.

“We probably should have went to him again in overtime, but...”

That’s a riddle Modesto Christian hasn’t solved yet. With nine underclassmen on the roster, the Crusaders have shown their youth in end-game situations.

“We have to keep our heads straight and not worry about what has happened in the past,” said Grays, the only returning starter. “We have to execute.”

In overtime, Central outscored Modesto Christian 11-7.

Tyler Williams (15 points, nine rebounds) tied the game at 79-79 with a hesitation move in the paint, but the Grizzlies scored the final four points to set up a final with Salesian of Richmond, which survived a scare from Manteca in the other semifinal.

Montrel Garner had a put-back to make it 81-79 and Eddie McFall sealed the win with two free throws with 13.7 seconds left.

“We deserved to win that game,” Fantazia said, “but sometimes you don’t win games you deserve. That is one of the top teams in the state. They’re a defending Division I section champion with all their team back. You learn more from a loss like this.”

So he hopes.

Modesto Christian had a chance to tie the game with 20.8 seconds left, but freshman point guard Michael Pearson slipped as he spun into the lane, losing the ball out of bounds. The Crusaders forced a steal on the ensuing in-bounds, but Grays missed a shot from beneath the basket.

It wasn’t the sequence drawn up in the huddle.

“Michael had been doing a good job of beating his man in the lane. There are very few freshmen in California who can beat their man like that,” Fantazia said. “We felt like he could. I gave him (the green light) to do it. You just can’t turn the ball over.”

The Crusaders will play Manteca in the third-place game, adding another wrinkle to a rivalry that has developed on the summer circuit.

The game tips at 6 p.m.

“This is our championship,” Fantazia said. “(Friday) is still huge for us. ... They have to come out with the same intensity.”

Crusader center Gabe Murphy had 25 points, 19 rebounds and two blocked shots against the Grizzlies, continuing his rapid game-by-game improvement. The 6-foot-7 forward scored eight consecutive points in the first quarter.

By half, Murphy had a double-double: 16 points and 13 rebounds. In his last four games, Murphy is averaging 17.2 points and 15 rebounds.

Fantazia said his young guards need to keep Murphy involved in the offense. He went nearly eight minutes between points in the second half. During that stretch, Modesto Christian saw a 48-41 lead whittled down to two, 60-58.

“Gabe is a monster,” Fantazia said. “He is becoming one of the best big men in Northern California and his ceiling is so high. He doesn’t even realize how much better he’s going to be if he keeps working.

“We have to do a better job of getting him the ball. He can’t dominate that like that and go four minutes without a touch.”

Salesian 79, Manteca 69: The Buffaloes trimmed a double-digit deficit at the half to just one in the third quarter, but the Pride separated with a 12-2 spurt.

James Akinjo scored 24 points and Ke’mare Wright had 15, including a 3-pointer to start Salesian’s decisive run in the third quarter.

Before Wright’s trey, the Pride had gone 4 minutes, 39 seconds without a field goal.

“The refs tightened up and we settled for jump shots, and they were getting layups,” Manteca coach Brett Lewis said. “That run really hurt us.”

The Buffaloes featured a balanced attack led by guards Gino Campiotti and Dwight Young, who had 19 apiece.

Tydus Verhoeven had 18 points and required treatment for a bloody nose for the second straight game.

Lewis points to a slow start as the culprit.

“We played scared in the first quarter,” he said. “I guess the guys didn’t think we belonged. If you take away those first six minutes, we’re OK.”

Manteca will play Modesto Christian for third-place. The Buffaloes, like many programs in the Stanislaus District, use the Crusaders as a measuring stick.

“They’re a good program and they played well tonight,” Lewis said. “Hopefully we can match that intensity. It’s going to be tough bouncing back from a game like this.”

This story was originally published December 29, 2016 at 10:18 PM with the headline "Trouble closing: Young Crusaders stumble in overtime loss to Central."