By Rick Assad
Two streaking boys’ basketball teams battled for thirty-six minutes and despite having the final shot that could have won the game, Providence High lost to San Dimas 65-64 in a CIF Southern Section Division III A quarterfinal contest on Tuesday night.
The boisterous and thickly-packed crowd at the Fritz B. Burns Activity Center was treated to an extraordinarily tense and thrilling game and one they will not forget.
A back-and-forth fourth quarter saw Providence junior wing Riley Murphy (13 points) nail a three-pointer that gave the hosts a 50-47 edge with 5:13 left.
San Dimas scored the next eight points and pulled in front 55-50 with 2:43 remaining when senior forward Luke Chavez (12 points) scored.
San Dimas outscored Providence 8-3 from this point and the game was deadlocked at 58-58 after four periods even though Providence outscored its opponent 16-13 in the frame.
The Pioneers (14-13), who came into the game with a four-game winning streak and had claimed six of eight games, waltzed in front 20-14 after one quarter by making seven of 10 for 70 percent.
Providence seized command 31-26 at halftime after shooting 41.6 percent on 10 of 24 from the floor.
The Saints (19-11), who also entered the clash with a four-game winning streak, rallied in the third quarter after outscoring the Pioneers 19-11.
San Dimas held a 45-42 advantage heading to the fourth period after Chavez launched and sank a 32-foot three-pointer at the buzzer.
Providence shot 44.6 percent on 21 of 47 while San Dimas converted 26 of 57 for 45.6 percent.
Providence senior shooting guard Elijah Orjuela came out blazing in the first quarter after draining four from three-point range for 12 points.
Orjuela, who finished with a team-best 15 points, was blanked in the second, third and overtime session but splashed a three-pointer in the fourth frame that gave his club a 56-55 cushion with 1:55 left.
The Pioneers drilled 16 three-pointers and the Saints made 10 from three-point range.
After watching Orjuela go off offensively in the opening period, he was blanketed by San Dimas, which made 15 of 28 for 53.5 percent in the second half and the extra period, but was also a willing passer, often finding Murphy and junior wing Griffin Berschneider (13 points).
Nathan Yearout, who drained six three-pointers, was a handful as the senior point/shooting guard scored in all five periods and finished with a game-high 28 points.
Yearout scored five of the seven points in overtime for the Saints and nailed his sixth trey while sophomore center Jeremiah Garzon powered his way for 12 points, including 10 points at halftime.
Providence scored 11 points in the second period while allowing 12 points to San Dimas.
Sophomore guard Madden Velasco, who scored six points via two three-pointers in overtime, tallied five of his 11 points in the second quarter for the Pioneers and hit the first of his three-pointers while Berschneider added six points all on three-pointers.
Yearout dropped five points in the second quarter and tacked on his second three-pointer.
Yearout continued his torrid shooting in the third period after making three treys for nine points and Chavez chimed in with a pair of three-pointers for six points.
Murphy delivered two three-pointers for six points in the fourth quarter and Berschneider tossed in seven points.
Junior point guard Andrew Diep contributed five of his 10 points in the fourth frame for San Dimas.
Also scoring for the Pioneers were junior power forward J.P. Birotte with four points, senior guard Azhaun Hill with a first quarter three-pointer and junior guard Joshua Coen with a three-pointer in the third period and junior guard Ezekiel Ngai added two points in the third period.
