MidValleySports.Com

Dario CiVon shoots over Dammond Rogers (Photo by Anne Cypress)

(La Canada) – After trailing by as many as seven late in the second quarter, La Canada pulled away late to win another thriller 60-50 against Inglewood in the CIF Southern Section Regional Semi-Finals.

By now Spartan fans expect to be on a nerve-wrecking roller coaster ride of emotions during games. This definitely didn’t disappoint.

After being held in check the entire first half, Mike McGlashan took over in the second half by scoring 14 of his team-high 20 points to help aid in the comeback.

La Canada came out on fire in the first quarter as Dario CiVon and Matt Faber led the way to a seven point lead with 1:27 remaining in the opening quarter. Faber scored seven points in the quarter and CiVon hit a three-pointer to help the Spartans dart out to the lead.

As quickly as La Canada opened a seven-point lead, it evaporated just as fast in the second quarter.

Part of the reason came in the form of an unconscious shooting performance from Julius Bilbrew. In the second quarter alone, Bilbrew scored 11 points most with a Spartan defender in his face. He helped fuel a 19-5 run to give Inglewood a 28-21 lead with 2:38 remaining in the half.

Before the quarter ended, La Canada closed on a 6-0 run with key three-pointers by Civon and Faber. Faber’s came as time expired in the half to send the Spartans to a one-point deficit in the half.

The third quarter watched the lead change hands four times. No team led by more than four points in the quarter with La Canada taking control at 38-34 after CiVon scored after a steal with 3:14 remaining.

The Sentinels answered with an 8-0 run with Bilbrew scoring four of those points. Rhon Mitchell and Dammond Rogers scored the other four points.

With time running out in the third quarter, McGlashan slashed down the middle stepped back and hit a mid-range jumper at the buzzer to cut the Inglewood lead to two.

In every post-season win for the Spartans, a player other than McGlashan has hit key shots in the fourth quarter. This night….enter Riley Moore with two clutch three-pointers in the final quarter.

Moore hit his first with 7:15 remaining in the game to give La Canada a 43-42 lead.

After each team traded buckets, McGlashan scored six unanswered points on his own to give the Spartans a 51-47 lead with 2:06 left.

Bilbrew tried to get the Sentinels back in the game with a three-pointer but missed. La Canada came right back with McGlashan driving to hoop and dishing it to the corner for Moore. He drained the three-point try to send the Spartan faithful into a complete frenzy.

The Spartans defense held Inglewood without a field for 5:32 of the fourth. Singleton Joseff hit a trey with 38 seconds remaining to cut the lead to six.

That is as close as the Sentinels could get as Moore and CiVon hit four straight free-throws.

La Canada tied a school record with its 30^th victory of the year and will face La Verne Lutheran on Saturday afternoon at the Galen Center in the Finals. The winner will head to Sacramento to represent the Southern Regional for the State title.

Mike McGlashan drives to the hoop. (Photo by Anne Cypress)