Coley Apsay finds way to help Canyon Country Canyon win

Patience. Discipline. Unselfishness. Those were the qualities displayed by standout point guard Coley Apsay of Canyon Country Canyon during a Foothill League basketball game Tuesday night in which Valencia West Ranch was determined to frustrate and shut down Apsay as an offensive contributor.

Averaging 18 points, Apsay had only one basket and five shots through three quarters. West Ranch was assigning players to deny him the ball and when he had the ball, he was immediately double-teamed.

He took only two shots in the second half, but with the game on the line, Apsay made both of them, sinking two three-point baskets in the fourth quarter to help Canyon pull out a 56-52 victory.

“I knew right from the beginning I wouldn’t be getting my shots up, so I had to get my teammates involved,” Apsay said. “When the moment arose, I was able to knock down my shots.”

Apsay’s three-pointer with 1 minute 19 seconds left ended a 50-50 tie. There were six lead changes in the fourth quarter. Clay Kasdorf made two free throws with 20 seconds left for a 55-52 Canyon lead. West Ranch had one final opportunity to send the game into overtime but failed to score.

Canyon, ranked No. 1 in Southern Section Division 2AA, improved to 18-1 overall and 3-0 in league. It’s the best start in Coach Chad Phillips’ 12 seasons.

“They did a heck of a job,” Phillips said of West Ranch and Coach Shant Bicakci. “They found a way to double [Apsay] constantly. We found a way to win. That’s what good teams do.”

Kasdorf finished with 18 points. He was six of six from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter. Devin Baldwin had two baskets in the fourth quarter off the bench. Alek Golden contributed three three-pointers on a night West Ranch was daring Canyon’s other players to step up.

Ako Kaluna, a 6-foot-7 junior, had 21 points and 12 rebounds for West Ranch (8-9, 2-1).

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com