Crawford sends game to OT with clutch free throws and Sobrato
prevails to win tournament
Morgan Hill – The Sobrato boys basketball team was clutch at the free-throw line, particularly down the stretch, and won a 52-48 overtime thriller over Mesa Verde to claim the Bulldog Chase championship Friday.
“It was very exciting and very fun to be a part of,” coach Lawrence Crawford said.
With Sobrato trailing 42-40 near the end of regulation, senior Marqus Crawford was fouled while attempting a shot with 0.1 seconds remaining. He nailed the first free throw, then after a Mesa Verde time out, he drained the second one to send the game to overtime.
In the extra period, the Bulldogs got eight of their 10 points from the free-throw line as they finished the night 24-of-27 from the free-throw line.
“There aren’t too many NBA games where a team goes 24 for 27,” Lawrence Crawford said.
The game was tied at the end of each quarter, with the contest getting off to a slow start offensively and being knotted up at 18-18 at halftime.
Crawford led the team with 21 points and tournament MVP Mubarik Abdullah added 13. Crawford and Mark Garma were both all-tournament selections.
Sobrato advanced to the title game with an easy 67-45 win over San Jose High Academy on Thursday. Robert Mercado led the way with 14 points, Garma had 11 and Crawford added 10.
The title game win was the Bulldogs’ fourth in a row and six in their last seven games. They enter today’s Blossom Valley Athletic League Santa Teresa Division opener against Willow Glen at 7pm with a 7-5 record.
“We’re on a nice roll,” Lawrence Crawford said. “We’ve put it together well to this point.”
With two of its losses coming to powerhouses Berkeley and Oak Grove, Sobrato is feeling confident entering league play.
“The kids understand the impact and quality of teams like Berkeley and Oak Grove,” Lawrence Crawford said. “It puts you in a mental state that you can play with anybody.”
While Crawford believes Willow Glen is likely the consensus league favorite, he feels his team can be a strong contender for the league crown.
“I think we’ll be competitive,” he said. “I don’t say I expect to compete for the league title in an arrogant way. I say it because of the way we’ve played so far. Our worse loss has been by nine points. All that competition, all those games in a dogfight help.”
Jimmy Durkin covers sports for South Valley Newspapers. Reach him at (831) 637-5566 ext. 334 or jd*****@**********rs.com.
