SOUTHERN SECTION BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : 3-A Quarterfinals : Magnolia Is Beaten in 2 Overtimes

Magnolia High School Coach Al Walin didn’t want it to end this way.

Palos Verdes’ Jason Taylor made two free throws with four seconds remaining in the second overtime, giving the Sea Kings a 48-46 division 3-A quarterfinal victory Friday night in front of a boisterous crowd of 2,000 at Cypress College.

Taylor went to the line after Magnolia’s Bill Czech was called for a foul away from the ball as Palos Verdes was playing for a last-second shot.

Taylor, who led his team with 16 points, scored all six of the Sea Kings’ overtime points, including two other free throws with 32 seconds remaining.

“That’s a tough way to lose,” said Walin. “I’d rather have him bury a shot than win it on free throws.”

The loss put an end to the best playoff performance in Magnolia history. Before this postseason, the Sentinels had never won more than one playoff game. Magnolia defeated University in the first round and upset third-seeded Ganesha in the second round before falling in this quarterfinal.

Had the Sentinels won, they would have set a school record for victories with 21. Instead, they ended the season at 20-6.

Magnolia turned the ball over with three seconds remaining in regulation after holding it for more than a minute, and Palos Verdes (20-6) missed a desperation shot at the buzzer with the score tied, 42-42.

The first overtime was scoreless. Magnolia missed four shots, including an 18-footer by Victor Banuelos that bounded off the rim with seven seconds remaining. Banuelos, a guard whose sharp shooting had given Magnolia a boost earlier in the playoffs, made only two of 13 shots. Mark Lyon intercepted the Palos Verdes inbounds pass, and his 70-foot heave missed by about a foot.

Taylor gave the Sea Kings a two-point lead with 1:21 to play in the second overtime, but Mike Goff (17 points) tied it again. Taylor’s two free throws made the lead two again before Lyon made a two-foot shot with three defenders on him with 20 seconds remaining.

Taylor’s free throws then gave Palos Verdes the victory.

“We made some mental errors at the end. We didn’t do what we wanted to do,” said Walin, who said the strategy had been to go to Goff on the baseline. “With that kind of pressure and the crowd, there are going to be errors.”

Magnolia, which shot only 39% (11 for 28) in the first half while Palos Verdes shot 65% (13 for 20), trailed by six, 28-22, at halftime. But the Sentinels stymied the Sea King offense with a 1-3-1 halfcourt trap in the second half, holding Palos Verdes to just 5 of 19 from the field.

Magnolia cut the lead to three, 36-33, after three quarters and took its first lead, 39-37, with 4:34 remaining when Lyon (16 points) hit a turnaround jump shot.

Lyon had followed a miss by Goff with 6:30 remaining that cut it to one, 36-35. Sea King Mike Matteoni hit a free throw to make it 37-35 before Czech (eight points) made a 20-foot shot that tied it.

Lyon put Magnolia ahead, and then Goff drove the lane and scored, giving the Sentinels a four-point lead.

Magnolia had the ball and a three-point lead with two minutes left, but Palos Verdes tied it, 42-42, with 1:24 left with a free throw and a layup after a steal.

Magnolia held the ball for more than a minute, turning it over with three seconds left when Goff lost control of the ball under the basket and the official ruled it out-of-bounds when it hit the bottom of the backboard.

Palos Verdes missed a desperation shot at the buzzer, sending it into overtime.