CANOGA PARK HAS ITS FUN WITH GRANADA HILLS\CANOGA PARK 86, GRAN. HILLS 77.

Byline: Eric Sondheimer Daily News Deputy Sports Editor 

They're the area's most entertaining basketball team. They dunk, block shots, make steals, try twisting off-balance layups. These Canoga Park High School Hunters could go all the way and win a City Section 3-A boys' championship.

If only their love for showmanship didn't cause coach Ralph Turner such moments of stress. At times on Wednesday night, Canoga Park looked like a 4-A power. At other times, the Hunters gave Granada Hills lots of chances to win. In the end, a 41-point, 13-rebound performance by Carloes Harper helped the Hunters advance to the 3-A semifinals with an 86-77 win over Granada Hills.

Harper overwhelmed the Highlanders (11-13) with a flurry of inside shots that no one could stop. He scored 24 points in the first half when Canoga Park (21-4) opened a 43-38 halftime lead.

Harper wasn't about to let Granada Hills overtake the Hunters. Last year, Canoga Park was eliminated in the quarterfinals by a 38-point performance from Birmingham's David Redmond.

"I remember that," he said. "I made sure nobody was going to beat us tonight."

But the Hunters had to sweat all the way to the end because of their sloppiness. They started with a 15-4 run behind a tenacious full-court press. That's when Anthony Ellison decided he wanted to entertain the crowd. He purposely threw the ball off the glass backboard, hoping Harper would catch the carom and slam it home. But it turned out to be a turnover. Granada Hills, perhaps sensing a lack of respect, fought back and stayed close throughout the first half.

"They started off thinking they would blow us out in the first five minutes," Granada Hills coach Lou Cicciari said..

Ernest Quinley, who finished with 26 points, kept the Highlanders in the game. At the outset of the third quarter, Granada Hills pulled to within 46-44. Then Canoga Park really turned it on. The Hunters went on a 10-0 streak and ended up scoring 32 points in the third quarter to take a 75-58 lead.

Again, the Hunters decided to forget about the score and make easy shots look difficult. Canoga Park turnovers and off-balance shots helped Granada Hills rally. The Highlanders got as close as 83-77 with 1:39 left on a 3-pointer by Don Puathasnanon.

"We've got to be smart," Turner said. "During the playoffs, every possession is valuable."

Cicciari was seeing the 6-foot-3 Harper for the first time and came away admiring the junior forward.

"He's a great player," Cicciari said. "When you play Canoga Park, you have to take care of the ball. Too many times they stripped the ball. We showed we could play with them, but their defense is tenacious."

Harper went through a little slump earlier this season when he was shooting too quickly. But when he got the ball Wednesday, he maintained his balance and scored again and again. He made 18 of 30 shots.

"We were having trouble getting him the ball and when he caught it, he was hurrying his shot," Turner said. "We've been talking to him about squaring up to the basket."

Next up for Canoga Park is a semifinal game against Huntington Park either Friday or Saturday.

Said Harper: "There's nothing stopping us unless we stop ourselves."

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Photo Canoga Park's Carloes Harper (32) fights for the ball with Jason Dennis of Granada Hills. Canoga Park won at its own gym 86-77. Gene Blevins / Special to the Daily News