Crescenta Valley Ends Muir’s Streak at 24 League Wins

As usual, when the credits roll from Friday night’s Crescenta Valley High basketball game, Adam Jacobsen’s name will appear at the top.

But they go well beyond.

Coach John Goffredo saw all five of his starters play well to beat visiting Muir, 74-72, snapping the Mustangs’ 24-game Pacific League winning streak.

The starters played so well, in fact, that Goffredo felt the need to use the bench only once, when Brendon Cowsill got the wind knocked out of him and sat for about a minute.

The Falcons must have been playing on adrenaline.

Point guard Robert Miller, who scored 11 points, was banged up from a fall in Tuesday’s game and had not practiced.

Jacobsen and Glenn Granz had been sick with the flu and practiced sparingly in the days before the game. Jacobsen scored 20, and Granz had 19 points with nine rebounds.

Both also did well to set up center Kevin Jakel for layups. Jakel scored a personal-high 18 points, including six straight during a key fourth-quarter run.

The Falcons trailed, 62-61, with 5 minutes 28 seconds to play in what had been a close game throughout.

Jakel then hit two layups and made an 18-foot jump shot to give the Falcons a 67-62 lead with 2:53 remaining.

“Granz hit me a lot on the drives,” Jakel said. “(Jacobsen) passes beautifully when he’s being double-teamed. The last three games I’ve been playing awfully well.”

Cowsill, the only starter not in double figures, grabbed 10 rebounds.

The Falcons’ success started with Jacobsen, though. Besides hitting four more three-point shots to increase his Southern Section all-time record to 364, he dished out six assists and played the point at times during the game.

“Adam Jacobsen as a floor leader is incredible,” Goffredo said. “I don’t care if he scores a basket.”

The Falcons (16-2, 4-1 in the league) pulled into a first-place tie with Muir (14-5, 4-1).

“The whole team is playing incredibly right now,” Jakel said.

Muir boasted a lineup that included two Division I-bound players. Vaughn (15 points) has signed to play for Kansas, and Michael O’Quinn (17) has signed with Loyola Marymount.

Kacie Motley led the Mustangs with 22 points.