By Corey Kwok
(Pasadena) Downtown specialist Jeff Grigg hit 4 of 5 from beyond the arc in the first quarter and La Canada went on to beat La Salle 60-50 Saturday night on the Lancers home floor. Grigg had 18 points overall (all threes) to spark the Spartans.
La Canada improved to 11-2 with the win while La Salle dropped to 7-6.
The Spartans hit 10 of the game’s 16 three pointers.
La Salle multi-dimensional threat Matt Nolan recorded a block, eight rebounds, two buckets, a clutch three off Gary Mkritchyan’s dish, and a go-ahead wide open jam near the halftime buzzer on a Darryl Oliver lob for a 30-29 Lancer lead.
Nolan led all scorers with 20 points. Michael Edwards, an over-the-summer transfer from Loyola, accounted for all nine perimeter points with one triple in periods 1 and 2. Ryan Akinbayode sank a pair of free throws and splashed 3 of his first 4 on the court to finish with a dozen.
A go ahead Rocky Moore 27 footer, followed by an Omar Rady baseline bucket, broke a 39-39 tie and put La Canada up by five late in the third. The Spartans never trailed again.
Sean Mintie kept the swagger going in the fourth, scoring on a buzzer beating put back, and a key layup for a ten point lead. Moore, Rady, and Dario Civon each tallied three assists.
After a Nolan three point play with 7:28 left in the fourth and an Oliver bucket at 5:07, neither team scored again until 1:09 to go. Moore scored on a mid range shot to put the Spartan triumph under wraps.
LC 18 11 19 12 – 60
LS 18 12 13 7 – 50
LC – Grigg 18, Moore 11, Matt Faber 9, Mintie 8, Rady 7, Civon 5, Mason Holle 1, Charles Kim 1
LS – Nolan 20, Akinbayode 12, Edwards 9, Ian Schuler 3, Kishon Sanders 2, Oliver 2, Josh Anderson 2
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