Birmingham Fouls Up San Fernando Again

For the San Fernando High Tigers, it was like getting struck by lightning. Again.

San Fernando, which lost a Northwest Valley League game to Birmingham after a controversial call three weeks ago, lost to the Braves again following another controversy Friday evening.

After standing through a timeout and taking a nibble at his right thumbnail, Jason Moore hit a pair of free throws with one second remaining to give Birmingham a 63-62, come-from-behind victory at San Fernando.

Moore, who was in the game only because Ennerea Maxwell had fouled out a minute earlier, was sent to the line after being fouled by Joe Mauldin. Although Moore was about 30 feet from the basket, the officials ruled he was fouled in the act of shooting and awarded him two shots.

San Fernando Coach Dick Crowell didn’t think Moore should have been at the line at all.

“We teach verticality here and that’s what my guy did: He went straight up,” Crowell said. “We can’t seem to play their guys without the officials being involved in the finish.” San Fernando had its chances Friday.

The Tigers, who had won four straight and six of seven, led, 60-55, with a minute left in the game. But the Tigers failed to capitalize on consecutive one-and-one situations, and led by only one after back-to-back baskets by Birmingham’s Keith Owens, who scored a game-high 24 points.

In between Owens’ baskets, Tory Stephens, who led San Fernando with 20 points, took an ill-advised 15-foot jump shot.

With eight seconds left and the score tied at 61, Shelton Boykin had a chance to give the Tigers’ a two-point advantage. But he made only the second of two free throws. On the ensuing possession, Mauldin blocked a jump shot by the Braves’ Damon Buford, but then Mauldin fouled Moore, who had come up with the loose ball.

Birmingham won the first meeting between the two teams, 65-64, after officials whistled Boykin for a last-second foul, which negated his apparent game-winning tip-in.

So Birmingham (16-1, 6-0 in league), predicted to finish somewhere in the middle of the pack by the Northwest Valley League’s coaches at the season’s outset, controls its own destiny with four league games left.

Birmingham Coach Jeff Halpern had little to say Friday night.

“Just look at the scoreboard,” Halpern shouted, while pointing. “We’ve been put down by everyone for weeks.”

Meanwhile, San Fernando (10-7, 4-2), two points from being undefeated in league, is tied for second with Granada Hills. This was the fifth game San Fernando has lost by five points or fewer.