Crenshaw Takes State Title With 72-62 Overtime Win

OAKLAND —  Top-ranked Crenshaw, riding the courage of David Carter, the moxie of Troy Batiste and the legs of Stephen Thompson, rallied from a four-point deficit with less than two minutes remaining in regulation to pull out a 72-62 overtime victory over Logan of Union City to claim the State Divison I championship at the Oakland Coliseum Arena Saturday night.

It ended a dream season for Crenshaw (24-0) and gave Coach Willie West his second State title in the last three years.

Logan City (29-5) gave Crenshaw all it could handle, shredding the famed Cougar press repeatedly. With 1:32 left, the Colts had a four-point lead, 60-56. But then Carter, a senior, took charge, driving twice through the heart of the defense for two baskets to knot the score at 60-60.

Logan worked the ball patiently for a final shot, but Batiste, a 6-1 junior, worked in behind David McDonald and stripped the ball with 10 seconds left. Crenshaw didn’t get a good shot in regulation, but having been granted a reprieve, Thompson, who finished with 31 points, opened the overtime with a three-point play, Batiste added a basket seconds later and finally was able to relax.

Logan Coach Will Biggs was chagrined, but praised Carter’s clutch plays.

“We should have beat them, we had a four-point lead, but we couldn’t stop No. 5 from penetrating,” he said.

Carter finished with 17 points.

“I had to to take charge,” Carter said. “I was a little worried down the stretch. They handled us with the press in the whole game. They were the first one to do it for a whole game. But we finally got ‘em in overtime.”

Crenshaw trailed at the half, 30-28.

The Cougars built a 26-21 lead, and threatened to stretch their advantage, but Biggs called two timeouts to settle his players and the Colts responded in the last 4:50 of the second quarter, outscoring Crenshaw, 9-2.

Crenshaw’s aggressiveness was nearly its undoing. The officials whistled the Cougars for 12 fouls.