La Mirada Boys Basketball falls to Downey at the buzzer
La Mirada’s Sean Cervantes (4) knocks the ball away from Downeys Omar Cisneros (11) during their boys basketball game at Downey High School on Thursday. Downey defeated La Mirada 48-47. (Photo by Keith Durflinger)
LA MIRADA – La Mirada Boys Basketball came up just short against Downey in their Feb. 2 game last week, adding to a frustrating trend of last second heartbreaks suffered this season.
With less than three seconds left in the final game of the regular season, Downey senior guard Marcus Sanchez sank a short jump shot to lead the Vikings to a Gateway League Co-Championship over La Mirada, 48-47.
“It felt great,’ said Sanchez, of his game-winning shot. “I don’t know when the last time we won a league championship here at Downey, but it felt great doing it for the city and my teammates, especially.
“To be honest, it was designed for Jathan (Lopez), but he was getting pressured, so I had to get the ball and just made the big play.”
The big Downey crowd thought the game was over, but the officials put a couple more seconds on the board, but the Vikings held on for the win.
“That was our third buzzer-beater we’ve lost this year,” La Mirada Boys Basketball coach Randy Oronoz said. “We’re kind of getting a little down, but it’s a learning experience and we’re trying to gear up and get ready for playoffs.
“We played tough games all year, so nothing different right now. Hopefully we learned from some of these close losses. We had a stretch last year where we lost eight close games and made a run to the finals. Hopefully we got all of the close losses out and we can pull some of those out in the playoffs.”
La Mirada was led by junior Isaiah Valenzuela with 12 points – all 3-pointers. Sophomore Julien Gomez, who had an off night, added six points, while Athan Sierra had five points and three players had four points – Michael Torres, Morgan Smith and Anegi Castillo.
In the first quarter, it was an even affair early on, but La Mirada began to pull away with a 7-0 run and led 11-5 highlighted by the first of four three’s by Valenzuela with 1:44 left.
La Mirada took a brief, six-point lead, 16-10 after a driving layup by junior Christopher Cuevas with five minutes left in the half.
A Downey 3-pointer by Lopez with 1:29 left tied the game at 18-18.
Late in the opening half, Sierra hit a short jump shot for the 20-18 lead, but the Vikings took their first lead of the game with three free throws in the last minute for the 21-20 lead at the break.
The third quarter was the closest of the game with neither team taking a big lead.
Gomez, who came into the game with a 26.6 scoring average, struggled in the first quarter after he picked up two quick fouls. He sat the whole second quarter for the Matadores.
La Mirada took a brief four-point, 28-24 lead on a driving layup by sophomore Morgan Smith and a free throw.
Downey still led by one point, 33-32, heading into the fourth quarter.
With the game tied, 43-43, with 1:50 left in the game, the final heroics took place for both teams.
Senior point guard Sean Cervantes scored his only two points of the game with two free throws to give the Matadores a 47-46 lead with 11.1 seconds left.
After the La Mirada defense knocked an inbounds pass away, there was only 9.0 seconds left.
Sanchez eventually got the ball, and the game was over with his shot with seconds left.
Julien Gomez on the loss:
“It came down to the wire and it was a great game,” Gomez said. “Coach (Ordonoz) was talking about that in the locker room. Us going through adversity will help us in the long run.
“From a personal standpoint, I could have been more of a leader and been more of a guy by knocking down those free throws,” Gomez said. “It stings, it really stings. I had the game in my hands, and I folded.”
Gomez made one of two free throws and then missed the front end of a one and one with 1:51 to play.
“There’s nothing to do but grow from this.”
The La Mirada boys (21-8) defeated Bishop Amat, 66-46, in a first round game Wednesday. The Matadores face Shalhevet (23-6) Friday in a second-round game in D-2A.