Rare air for Mount Miguel

 

Matadors in finals first time since ’75

By Bill Dickens, Special to the Union-Tribune

Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at 10:10 p.m.

 

SPRING VALLEY — It was a play that won’t show up in the box score. But Bryant Mitchell’s offensive rebound of a missed free throw with seven seconds remaining in last night’s San Diego Section Division III semifinal was pivotal in host Mount Miguel’s 51-48 win over San Diego Southwest.

 

The victory — the Matadors’ ninth in a row — will send Mount Miguel to the finals for the first time since 1975. The Matadors (25-6) will play La Jolla at 2:45 p.m. Saturday at USD’s Jenny Craig Pavilion.

 

“Wow … how many years is that?” said Mount Miguel senior guard A.J. Stanford. I wasn’t even born then. This is an exciting moment for our team and our school.”

 

Victory did not come easy for the Matadors, who once led 38-27 before foul troubles began to cost key players such as Stanford (7 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals) playing time. Scoring leader Harry Brazelton (17 points) fouled out with 2:19 remaining and the Matadors clinging to a 48-45 advantage.

 

“This wasn’t about scoring points as much as it was playing defense and rebounding,” Stanford said.

 

The Matadors missed six free throws in the final two minutes, which kept the visiting Raiders’ chances for a come-from-behind victory alive.

That’s where Mitchell came up big.

 

“The way things were going I just had a feeling A.J. was going to miss that last free throw,” said Mitchell, who corralled a game-best 11 rebounds. “The ball came off the glass hard and longer than normal. But I had my guy boxed out, so I was able to grab the ball.”

 

Southwest’s long ranger Ashpar Morris sank a game-high 18 points — half of them coming on three three-pointers.