CHATTER: C.V. COACH SHOWS HE CAN'T LOSE.

Byline: Vincent Bonsignore Staff Writer

Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta boys' basketball coach Adam Jacobson has a flair for the dramatic.

Last Wednesday was the Falcons' annual alumni game and Jacobson, a first-year coach and former C.V. standout, seemed intent on coaching the Falcons varsity team against some of his former teammates.

For the first half, that is.

After giving the Falcons some coaching instructions to start the second half, he politely excused himself and went to the dressing room. When he returned, he was wearing an alumni uniform.

``The only people who knew I was going to play were my assistant coaches,'' Jacobson said. ``My players had no idea.''

Jacobson didn't just play, he all but won the game for the alumni.

The alumni led through most of the fourth quarter but began tiring and fouling late in the game, allowing the current Falcons to take a four-point lead.

With 37 seconds left, Jacobson got the ball at the 3-point line behind the key and launched a long shot.

``I missed it so bad, it banked in,'' Jacobson said.

The clutch miss, er basket, cut the Falcons' lead over the alumni to 66-65. After a time out, Falcons guard Jimmy Goffredo got trapped by Jacobson and an alumni teammate along the sideline, and as Goffredo tried to scoot out of the jam, Jacobson reached around from behind and poked the ball free.

The ball ultimately landed in the hands of alumnus Nathan Sinning, who was breaking free for a layup. Sinning made the basket, got fouled and hit the free throw to make it 68-66. The current Falcons missed a shot at the buzzer, ending the game and giving the alumni the win. ...

USC sophomore Aaron Burgin, a Birmingham High of Encino graduate, won a $10,000 scholarship at halftime of Monday night's USC-UC Santa Barbara game for making a layup, free throw and halfcourt shot.