SCCS TAKES LEAGUE TITLE
SCCS takes Heritage League title with Monday win
The Santa Clarita Christian School boys basketball team found itself in uncharted territory late in Monday night’s game against Valley Torah.
For the first time in 11 Heritage League games, the Cardinals trailed heading into the fourth quarter.
Pitted against a Valley Torah team that it had seen for the second time in less than a week, SCCS trailed by seven points at the end of the third quarter.
SCCS took its first lead since the opening minute of the game with less than a minute to go in the fourth quarter, holding on for a 54-51 win over Valley Torah at Bross Court at The Master’s University.
The Cardinals (15-9 overall, 11-0 in Heritage League) clinched their first Heritage League title since 2013 and fourth in team history as students rushed the court when the final buzzer sounded.
“Unbelievable atmosphere,” said Jordan Starr, who led SCCS with 16 points, eight rebounds and three assists. “… The fans were crazy. Everybody was going crazy. We were down and we had to fight through adversity and it makes it that much sweeter.”
Starr, who had 10 of his points in the fourth quarter, finished an and-one play to put the Cardinals down 51-49 with just under three minutes to play in the game. A few possessions later, and with under two minutes to play, Starr hit a floater from just inside the freethrow line to tie up the contest at 51-51.
After an attempted shot from Kaleb Lowery flew out of bounds, Justin Collins picked off the ensuing inbound pass and put the Cardinals up 53-51 with a layup.
Lowery made 1 of 2 free throws before Valley Torah’s Nadiv Altit came up empty from 3-point range on the final possession of the game.
“We dealt with some adversity, which we haven’t really had in a while,” said SCCS coach James Mosley. “They showed a lot of maturity.”