LA VERNE – Momentum changed uniforms halfway through the third quarter.
Crean Lutheran, leading by 15 points early in the third quarter, was outscored, 30-10, from there in a 49-44 loss to Damien in a CIF Southern California Regional Division I semifinal playoff game Saturday at Damien High.
Damien (30-7) advances to the SoCal Regional Division 1 championship Tuesday against St. John Bosco (24-9) at St. John Bosco. Bosco beat Mater Dei, 75-71, in overtime Saturday at St. John Bosco.
The Damien-Bosco winner will play in the CIF State Division I championship game Friday at Golden 1 Center, home of the Sacramento Kings, in Sacramento.
Crean Lutheran finishes at 28-8. The Saints won the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship game last week with a 59-52 win over JSerra in the Division 1 final. Crean Lutheran won the Crestview League championship with a 7-1 league record.
Crean Lutheran had a 32-19 lead at halftime. Damien equaled its first-half scoring output in the third quarter, outscoring the Saints, 19-8.
The Spartans then outscored Crean, 11-4, in the fourth quarter.
Junior guard Hunter Caplan led Crean Lutheran with 16 points. He made three 3-point baskets. Saints 6-11 senior Chadrack Mpoyi scored 12 points with six rebounds. Mpoyi did not get the ball much in the fourth quarter in which he made one of his two shots.
Damien senior forward Eli Garner, at 6-6 the Spartans’ tallest player who was on the court Saturday, scored 16 points. Smith scored 13 points including six points in the fourth quarter. Smith was 4 for 4 at the free-throw line in the final 18 seconds.
Damien’s third-quarter surge fired up its energetic student section.
“We kind of let the crowd and the environment get to us,” said Crean Lutheran coach Austin Loeb. “It was a back-and-forth game and we knew it was going to be that way. They had the last run.”
Garner scored off of an offensive rebound to tie the game, 40-40, early in the fourth quarter. That was the first tie since it was 7-7 early in the first quarter.
Smith followed with a 12-foot jump shot that put his team on top, 42-40. Damien’s Danny Franco made a 3-pointer to make it 45-40.
Crean Lutheran scored only one basket on seven shots in the fourth quarter – a dunk by Chadrack Mpoyi – to trim the Saints’ deficit to 45-42 with three minutes remaining.
It would be 47-42 before Crean Lutheran would score again on two Caplan free throws with 10 seconds remaining.
Crean Lutheran advanced to Saturday’s game via SoCal Regional wins over Santa Fe Christian, 68-56, and Corona Centennial, 71-56.
It was tied, 7-7, in the first quarter. Crean Lutheran outscored Damien, 9-2, to finish the quarter and take a 16-9 lead into the second quarter.
Crean Lutheran put together another big run in the second half of the second quarter. The Saints outscored the Spartans, 12-0, to grow their lead to 14 points. They went into halftime ahead 32-19.
Loeb was disappointed by the outcome Saturday, but was ready to put some perspective on it.
“It doesn’t say anything less about this team,” Loeb said. “I’m super proud of what they accomplished.”
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