BOYS' BASKETBALL: HART SURVIVES VALENCIA SCARE VIKINGS MISS 3-POINT SHOT IN FINAL SECONDS HART 65, VALENCIA 64.

Byline: Gerry Gittelson Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Valencia High cut Hart's 15-point second-half lead to one in the waning moments. But Ryan Zike missed a 3-pointer from the left side with four seconds left, and Hart escaped with a ragged 65-64 Foothill League boys' basketball victory Friday night at Valencia.

Hart of Newhall missed four free throws in the last 39 seconds, including the front end of a one-and-one. Nevertheless, the Indians (16-3, 3-0) won their 11th consecutive game, turning away an emotional Vikings team that was hoping to avenge a one-sided loss to Hart in the Southern Section Division III football championship last December.

``I think we were all holding our breath tonight. It was a lot closer than we thought it would be,'' Hart's Chris Frome said. ``Valencia was real quick, and we both had our runs. I guess there were a lot of what-ifs, but we pulled it out in the end.''

Hart went on an 11-2 run to start the second half and appeared in control when Mike Gentry's 3-pointer gave the Indians a 47-32 lead midway through the third quarter. The lead was still 14 by the end of the third period, but Valencia went on an 8-0 run to begin the fourth quarter to cut the advantage to six, and the Vikings remained in striking distance.

``We showed a lot of heart. Unfortunately we just didn't make the last shot,'' said Valencia's Mike Morales, whose steal and 3-pointer with 18 seconds pulled the Vikings to within 65-54. ``Things went 99 percent our way,'' Valencia coach Rocket Collins said.

Andrew Brucker, at 6-foot-9 by far the tallest player on the court, scored 14 points for Valencia, 12 in the second half. He also had eight blocked shots. Morales added 13 points, Zike had 11 (including two 3-pointers in the final period) and Scott Domingo also scored 11.

Hart's Cody Kase, also a member of the football team along with Frome, scored 17 points, including a steal and slam dunk late in the third quarter to bring the crowd to its feet. But no one else reached double figures, and Hart converted just 11 of 24 free-throw attempts in the game.

Both teams started slowly, managing just one field goal apiece through the first 3 1/2 minutes. Hart pulled ahead 23-15 in the second quarter, but then the game was delayed for about five minutes when the 30-second clock broke down. Valencia (9-10, 1-2) took advantage of the momentum swing and pulled to within 25-24 on Brett Bissett's inside basket a minute before intermission.

Hart has a week off before playing host next Friday to Canyon.

In girls' basketball:

--Hart 82, Valencia 61: Hart broke open a close game by scoring the first 14 points of the second quarter, then coasted behind Amanda Patton's 31 points and freshman Ashlie Trebilcock's 25.

Patton and Trebilcock combined for 19 points in the second quarter, when Hart (16-3, 3-0) outscored Valencia 30-8. Patton hit four 3-pointers in the first half, and Trebilcock's flashy ballhandling foiled Valencia's full- court press.

``They came out strong in the beginning, but we just kept up the intensity,'' Trebilcock said. ``I think we had a higher skill level, we played a little better, and we wanted it really bad.''

Brandi Kimble added 13 points for Hart. Holly Feneht scored 19 for Valencia (10-9, 1-2). None of her teammates scored more than eight.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Valencia's Mike Morales drives past Hart's Mike Gentry during the Indians' 65-64 victory.

(2) Hart's Amy Malbon tries to squeeze past Valencia's Tamaita Smith, left, and Kim Hardy in the Indians' win.

Eric Grigorian/Special to the Daily News