BASKETBALL ROUNDUP: CRESPI'S SEASON ENDS IN OVERTIME LOSS.

Byline: Daily News

Crespi High's longest journey through the basketball playoffs in school history came to a frustrating end in the high desert Friday night.

The Celts suffered a 65-53 overtime defeat to host Twentynine Palms in a Southern Section Division IV-AA semifinal at Yucca Valley High.

Third-seeded Twentynine Palms (23-5) scored the first six points of overtime to take a 54-48 lead with 2:43 left in the extra period and never looked back in earning its second appearance in the championship in three seasons.

``I am sure it is going to be the longest ride of their lives back home,'' Crespi coach Dick Dornan said.

Especially after unseeded Crespi (19-9) squandered an opportunity to win the game in regulation when Marcin Jagoda missed two free throws with the score tied, 48-48, with 35.4 seconds left.

Jagoda, a senior forward, led Crespi with 16 points and scored all five of the Celts' five overtime points.

The Celts appeared to have the momentum heading into overtime after scoring 12 of the final 15 points of regulation.

Spurred on by a large and boisterous group of supporters who made the three-hour trip to Yucca Valley, the Celts rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit. Crespi trailed 45-36 in the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter.

``They outplayed us,'' Crespi senior guard Blake Tibbetts said about Twentynine Palms, the De Anza League co-champions which advanced to the semifinals for the fifth consecutive year. ``They have been this far in the playoffs before. This is our first time. They just wanted it more.''

What Crespi could have used was more of Tibbetts, who finished with 15 points.

Twentynine Palms opened a 43-32 lead when Tibbetts left the game after his fourth foul with 41.2 seconds remaining in the thrid quarter.

Tibbetts returned with 5:11 to play in the fourth quarter and sparked 10-0 run which put Crespi up, 48-46, with 2:32 left.

Twentynine Palm's All-Southern Section guard Maurice Buchanan, tied the game 48-48 with 1:05 left to force overtime.

- Kirby Lee

Pasadena Poly 40, Campbell Hall 34: A fourth-quarter scoring drought that lasted 6:30 minutes doomed the Vikings in a Division V-AA quarterfinal playoff game at Campbell Hall.

For 28 minutes, Campbell Hall (20-10) a wild-card entry into the playoffs, had the top-seeded Panthers (26-0) on the ropes.

After Hassan Bassiri converted two free throws with 7:03 left in the fourth, Campbell Hall led 29-25. Additional baskets for the Vikings, though, where hard to come by after that. Campbell Hall didn't score again until Bassiri was credited with a basket with 31 seconds remaining.

And that was awarded because of a goaltending call on Pasadena Poly's 6-foot-7 center, Koko Archibong.

The Panthers found their offense midway through the fourth quarter.

After being shut down for three quarters by Campbell Hall's Jesse Foster, Archibong made three driving lay-ups during a game-clinching 13-0 run.

Campbell Hall, which used its wild-card entry into the playoffs as motivation, failed to convert down the stretch.

``We didn't make good decisions,'' coach Brian Haloossim said. ``We were a great-executing team all year.

``You cannot not make the plays against the No. 1 seed (in your division) and expect to win.''

Bassiri was the leading scorer for the Vikings with 11 points. Archibong led the Panthers with 12.

- Bryan Rodgers

Antelope Valley Christian 65, Rio Hondo Prep 55: Matthew Nurse had 16 points and seven assists as the No. 2-seeded Eagles knocked off the Kares (13-9) in a Division V-A semifinal game at Rio Hondo Prep.

With the win, AV Christian (21-2) advances to play top-seeded Price on Friday at UC Irvine. Price defeated West L.A. Baptist in the other semifinal.

Peter Beaudin added 15 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks for the Eagles, who entered the playoffs on the heels of an Agape League championship. Jamal Flanagan contributed 14 points, 12 rebounds and six assists for AVC.