Sierra Canyon basketball teams win Gold Coast…
Sierra Canyon basketball teams win Gold Coast tournament in dramatic fashion
Windward´s Caida Davis and Sierra Canyon´s Cheyanne Wallace battle for a loose ball during game acton at Viewpoint Thursday, February 12, 2015. The Sierra Canyon girls defeated Windward 60-57.( Photo by David Crane/Los Angeles Daily News )
Sierra Canyon´s Cody Riley goes up for two as Windward´s Roman Davis defends on the play during game acton at Viewpoint Thursday, February 12, 2015. ( Photo by David Crane/Los Angeles Daily News )
By Evan Barnes | ebarnes@scng.com | Daily News
PUBLISHED: February 13, 2015 at 1:55 a.m. | UPDATED: August 28, 2017 at 7:15 a.m.
The Sierra Canyon girls basketball team made it clear when it beat Windward last week. That win was sweet but a win in the Gold Coast League Tournament championship Thursday would be sweeter.
The boys team? They got one more test in a season full of close games as Windward once again gave them a physical push.
Just like six days ago, Sierra Canyon pushed back with defense as the boys overcame a nine-point deficit with 1:53 left to win 71-70 at Viewpoint after a free throw by Devearl Ramsey with 6.4 seconds left capped a 10-0 run (see the boys final-minute comeback).
The ferocious comeback came on the heels of the girls mounting their own rally by hitting four free throws in the final 16.7 seconds for a 60-57 win (see the girls final-minute comeback).
Just another night in Sierra Canyon basketball with both teams on the verge of qualifying for the Open Division in the Southern Section playoffs.
Cody Riley tied the game at 70 on a layup with 26 seconds left and then made a critical block on a layup by Wonder Smith on the next possession. Adam Seiko recovered the ball and fed it to Ramsey, who was fouled going to the basket.
"We've been tested in about 70 percent of our games," said Riley, who had 13 points (see a Riley highlight here). "Some we failed but others we came through. Through it all we just stuck together as a team,"
Ramsey had a game-high 28 points and Remy Martin had 13 points and a block on Eli Silverman-Lloyd's final attempt to preserve the win.
Martin's block symbolized what he called "desperation defense" as the Trailblazers used a full-court press to force two late Windward turnovers that slowed the Wildcats' momentum.
"Windward did a great job and hit some big shots and down the stretch, we just found that reserve tank because everyone on the floor played well," Trailblazers coach Ty Nichols said.
The girls' comeback was a fitting precursor to the drama coming later, as Kennedy Burke gave Sierra Canyon (20-4, 8-0) a 58-57 lead with 16.7 seconds left after hitting two free throws. On Windward's next possession, Jayde Woods' shot attempt fell short and the ball went out of bounds to the Trailblazers with 5.7 seconds left.
On the inbounds pass, Cheyanne Wallace was fouled and calmly hit both free throws and as Emily Surloff's halfcourt attempt fell off the rim, the team could finally celebrate its first league title under head coach Alicia Komaki.
Sierra Canyon's final 10 points came from the foul line as it was held without a field goal in the fourth quarter. It was almost redemptive from the Trailblazers' loss to Troy earlier in the season where missed free throws proved costly.
"We learned our lesson from Troy tonight," Wallace said.
Sierra Canyon led by as many as 18 in the third quarter after a 15-0 second quarter run powered by Burke. The Wildcats made a 14-0 run in the third led by Woods, who finished with 15 points in the period.
"They took away our strengths so we had to work harder this time," said Burke, who had a game-high 25 points (see her video).
Wallace finished with 17 points and Alexis Griggsby added 11 points.
Evan Barnes | reporter
Evan Barnes is the Daily News' prep sports coordinator and has covered high school sports since 2006 for various publications, including the Los Angeles Sentinel, Daily Breeze and Long Beach Press-Telegram. He also has covered college and pro sports ranging from UCLA, USC, the Dodgers and CSUN. Before covering sports full-time, Evan also covered news and won a National Newspaper Publishers Association award for his story on President Barack Obama's campaign in Los Angeles in 2008. A Los Angeles native and a graduate from the University of San Diego, he also has written for online publications such as Bleacher Report.
ebarnes@scng.com
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