Sports

Boys Hoops: PHS Routs Muir to Finish Undefeated in League

Bulldogs recover from slow start to dominate Mustangs.

UPDATE: Muir boys basketball awarded third place in Pacific League after Friday morning meeting between league athletic directors and league president.

After grinding out a win over Burbank on Tuesday, the Pasadena boys basketball team was on pace for another low-scoring struggle Thursday night against cross-town rival Muir.

The Mustangs’ zone defense limited the Bulldogs to just 11 points in the first quarter, and their shooting funk continued four minutes into the second period, as stagnant players bricked shot after shot.

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The Bulldogs’ disjointed play on offense crested when junior guard Blake Hamilton desperately launched a deep 3 late in the shot clock to end another possession with minimal ball movement and minimal cohesion on the part of the Bulldogs. But unlike the previous Bulldog shots, Hamilton’s found its way through the hoop. The Bulldogs rolled from there to a 75-54 win on their Senior Night to cap an undefeated Pacific League season.

“That was an ugly shot,” Pasadena coach Tim Tucker said of Hamilton’s 3. “It counts to get us going. It got us going, woke us up a little bit, and then we started to find our flow.”

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Simon Ezra followed Hamilton’s make with a basket to put the Bulldogs’ up 19-11, but the young Mustangs (14-10, 7-7 in the PL) were able to keep pace through the end of the first half and only trailed 28-21 at halftime.

Considering all the turmoil the Muir program endured in the past week, the seven-point deficit was an impressive accomplishment. It was announced on Tuesday that star forward Deshawn Hayes was dismissed from the team, and Muir coach Dr. Gamal Smalley said after the game that forward Tevin Polk is ineligible for the rest of the season.

“We’re adjusting to new players,” Smalley said. “Not only did we lose Deshawn, we also lost Tevin Polk. We’re starting all over.

“ … I was very impressed that we kept it close.”

The Bulldogs (20-6, 14-0) came out hot in the second half as Hamilton, who finished with 10 points, hit back-to-back jumpers to open up a 33-21 lead. It was at that time that Pasadena’s bench made its impact in the game. Both teams were hampered by foul trouble throughout the game (Pasadena’s John Hayward picked up his fourth foul in the third period, and Muir had two players foul out), but Pasadena held an advantage in depth over its undermanned opponent because of bench players like Ezra and Carl Robinson.

Ezra scored six of his eight points in the third quarter, and Robinson finished the game with four points and six steals.

“Bench was big tonight,” Tucker said. “Simon Ezra was big tonight, Carl Robinson was big tonight. Those guys came in and gave us a lift, and that’s what we needed tonight.

“And I keep saying when we talk about losing a Todd Lewis (Jr.); I wasn’t really worried about replacing him because I knew what kind of bench we had. And those guys have proven what kind of bench we have.” 

While it was the bench that helped carry the load in the third, the Bulldogs’ starters put their stamp on the game in the final quarter. After Muir cut its deficit to just eight points early in the fourth, Pasadena’s Austin Daniels and Steven Adams iced the game with a 10-2 ran highlighted by an alley-oop dunk from Daniels to Adams.

Daniels finished with a team-high 15 points, while Adams finished with 10 points and eight rebounds. Muir’s Dion Nelson led the Mustangs with a game-high 19 points.

Muir finished the regular season in a three-way tie for third place in the PL with Glendale and Burbank. Smalley said third place will be determined Friday during a special 7:30 a.m. meeting between the league athletic directors and Pacific League President Paul Schilling.

Both Tucker and Smalley expressed optimism in regard to their squad’s respective playoff prospects. The CIF-Southern Section playoffs begin next week with Pasadena competing in the Division 1AA and Muir in 5AA. Brackets will be announced Sunday morning.

“It’s good that our league is so strong because we can play these tough teams and get good experience,” Smalley said. “Now we go into the playoffs and I think we should be well battle tested.”

Tucker was relieved to see his squad head into the playoffs off of a good offensive showing, but he acknowledged that the Bulldogs would have their work cut out for them in the toughest division in the Southern Section.

“I’m pleased, but we got some work to do,” Tucker said. “We’ve got to be a little bit lucky on the draw, and just see where we’re at and just let the chips fall where they may. We’re at 1AA — I think we belong here — we gotta accept the challenge.”

Muir Girls Top Bulldogs

The Muir girls basketball team cruised over Pasadena by a score of 56-31 to finish the regular season with an overall record of 19-7 (11-3 in the Pacific League).

Jordan Jackson led the Mustangs with 22 points and eight rebounds, while Emoni Jackson added 10 points and 14 boards. Ahsia Owens scored nine points, and Tyler Polk added eight.

"I think we're peaking at the right time," Muir coach Gary Johnson said. "Our defense is coming along. I think we're ready (for the playoffs)."


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