Saddleback Valley Christian Falls in Double-Overtime to Fairmont Prep

Two evenly-matched, high-powered, and well-coached CIF Southern Section Division 5A and 5AA teams went shot-for-shot Thursday night. At stake for both teams was inside track to the San Joaquin League championship. And when the dust finally had settled, the challenger had defeated the defending champion.

But just barely.

Fairmont Prep reserve Kevin El Basri sank his second free throw, after missing his first, with 4.1 seconds left in the second overtime, and despite a three-point basket at the buzzer by Warriors guard Michael Hamada, Saddleback Valley Christian came up short, losing 81-80, in double-overtime to Fairmont Prep before a standing-room-only crowd at the dome on the Saddleback Valley Christian School campus.

The victory by the Huskies (17-6, 5-1), ranked No. 7 in Division 5-AA, ties them with the Warriors (19-5, 6-1), ranked No. 12 in Division 5-A, for first place in the league's standings. Fairmont Prep has three games remaining, SVCS two; against Avalon on Saturday and Eastside Christian next Wednesday. Should both teams win out, they would tie for the league championship.

It was a difficult loss to swallow for SVCS, particularly after senior guard Josh “Money” Markum went off for 41 point, including 17 of 22 at the foul line, and 10 rebounds, and was virtually unstoppable in the fourth quarter.

After Markum tied the score in regulation at 60, the Warriors had the ball with 3.4 seconds left but the ball went off Markum and out of bounds. A desperation three by the Huskies fell short. Then in the first overtime, the Warriors led, 69-66, with 28 seconds remaining but could not make one free throw in six attempts. After Huskies guard Andrew Shirali missed twice on three-point attempts, he made a 25-footer from the wing at the buzzer to tie the score again.

“Six free throws, that was the difference in the ballgame,” lamented Warriors coach Dave Martin. "We emphasize making free throws in practice, but it’s not the same as in the game. Free throws ... that’s what it came down to.”

The game had the feeling of a Rocky-type heavyweight fight, each team going toe-to-toe and putting together runs before the other team would claw its way back. But this time it was the defending league champion Warriors who played the role of Rocky Balboa while the Huskies were Apollo Creed. Neither team had more than a one-point lead through the first three quarters.

The 12 black-clad Huskies, coached by Clay McKnight, the former Mater Dei High and Syracuse University player and son of Monarchs coach Gary McKnight, looked poised to break open the game in the second quarter after Mark Rodrigues (16 points) and Shirali each made two consecutive three-pointers to lead 25-15. But Saddleback Valley, which has only seven players on its varsity team, closed with a 15-6 run behind Markum's eight points, and a basket by sophomore Nick Worrell (17 points) with 29 seconds left pulled the Warriors to within one, 31-30, at halftime.

After Saddleback Valley took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter, Fairmont Prep went up 55-50 with 3:28 left and 60-55 with 1:21 left on three free throws by Shirali. But Markum came back with a driving three-point play and following a turnover by the Huskies, he connected on a long jumper to tie the score with 34 seconds remaining.

“He has been doing that all year long, hitting big basket after big basket. He has been our go-to guy all year,” said Martin of Markum, who ranks third in the county in scoring at 23.7 points a game. “His teammates look to him. I’m just bummed that we couldn’t clinch the league championship for him and our seniors.”

Still, after failing to finish off the Huskies in the first overtime, Saddleback Valley looked as if it might pull out the victory when Shirali, who scored a team-high 37 points, fouled out with 3:37 left, and Bobby Varnadoe (12 points) fouled out with 2:26 remaining. But Rodrigues nailed a three-pointer and two-pointer with 25.2 seconds left to push the Huskies lead to 80-74 as the Warriors could only manage five free throws by Markum.

However, following a timeout, Markum breathed life back into Rocky…err, the Warriors. He made a straightaway 30-foot three-pointer with 14 seconds left to cut the deficit to three, and after Fairmont threw the ball away, the Warriors had two chances to score but missed both three-point attempts before fouling El Basri, who made one of his free throws.

Fairmont Prep made 11 of 24 three-pointers, while Saddleback was only four of 14. Warriors senior Zac Rodamel finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds, and junior John Anderson had four points and six boards.

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In Girls Basketball:

Saddleback Valley Christian 57, Fairmont Prep 29: The Warriors moved to within one victory of claiming their third-straight San Joaquin League title and fourth in five years by outscoring Fairmont Prep, 18-9, in the first quarter and never looking back for the 28-point victory. They can clinch the title Saturday against Avalon.

Ashlie Adams, who averages 20 points a game, led the Warriors (20-4, 7-0) with 28 points and Elizabeth Hamada added 19. Negin Taleb and Sam Sudoko led the second-place Huskies (16-7, 4-2) with 12 points apiece.

Editor's Note: Ashlie Adams' name and Josh Markum's name were spelled incorrectly in an earlier version of this story.