Silva sends Eagles to semis

SAN DIEGO — The No. 8 Southwest High boys’ basketball team stunned No. 1 Maranatha Christian, 57-55, with a threepoint buzzer-beater from Ryan Silva to advance to the CIF-San Diego Section Div. IV semifinals.

The local Eagles and the Maranatha Christian Eagles met as part of the Div. IV quarterfinals Friday night here in an intense battle that began with the opening tipoff to the end of the game.

Southwest dropped 19 points in the first quarter to Maranatha Christian’s 13, giving the El Centro Eagles a small lead going into the second quarter.

The period before the half favored the No. 1 Eagles, who coincidentally also put up 19 points in the second quarter, to Southwest’s 13 to head into the half tied, 32-32.

The third quarter was just as close as the first two with Maranatha Christian and Southwest exchanging points evenly until they were tied at 36 apiece.

The San Diego Eagles then pulled away for a short period of time to lead 40-36 before a Southwest timeout.

Southwest senior Eric Pompa then hit a quick basket to pull the Eagles within two points of the host team with about two minutes to go in the third period.

The teams continued to battle before a Maranatha Christian player hit a three to give his team a 43-38 advantage, which was answered with a Pompa three-pointer that sent the game into the fourth quarter, 43-41.

The final period proved to be the most intense and shocking as Maranatha Christian held the lead the entire quarter with the exception of two moments when the game was tied and of course, Silva’s buzzer-beater.

The No. 1 Eagles’ biggest lead of the fourth quarter came with about five minutes left on the clock when they had a 53-47 advantage.

They likely could have kept the lead, had Southwest’s Cameron Jungers not delivered a jumper followed by a three-point shot to make the score, 53-52.

The teams remained locked in a one-point battle until a trip to the free-throw line gave Maranatha Christian a 55-52 advantage.

With under one minute left in the game, Southwest pulled within in onepoint on a Steven Singh shot, before Silva hit the game-winning basket ending the game in the local Eagles’ favor.

Silva finished with 14 points, six rebounds and seven steals, while Grant Hansink tallied 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Also for Southwest, Pompa had 11 points, three boards, four assists, one block and one steal, while Jungers closed with a crucial eight points, three rebounds and three assists.

With the result, Southwest advances to the Div. IV semifinals set for 7 p.m. Wednesday in Vista at TriCity Christian.