Carlos Gonzalez, a transplant from Brooklyn, was determined to assist the Lutheran High School boys basketball team in any way he could while playing his first — and only — season for the Knights. Consider that done after Gonzalez sank a three-point bomb as time expired to seal top-seeded Lutheran’s thrilling 77-73 overtime victory against third-seeded Palo Verde Valley in the San Diego Section Division V championship game played March 5 at San Marcos High School.
It is the first section title in school history for the small enrollment private school embedded in Chula Vista’s Rancho del Rey community.
Gonzalez led all scorers on the playing court with 24 points. In fact, he played on fire throughout the playoffs, leading the Knights with 27 points in an 84-41 semifinal victory against fourth-seeded Preuss.
“You’ve gotta attack, take no prisoners,” he told a KUSI-TV news crew on site after the final.
Despite blowing out to a 47-24 lead against Palo Verde, the championship game proved to be a cliffhanger.
The Knights appeared to have a comfortable 23-point lead midway through the third quarter. However, the Yellowjackets (18-11) put on an amazing display of playing catch-up — and in a hurry.
Lutheran fans watched nervously as the Knights’ lead began to shrink. The Yellowjackets whittled the Knights’ lead down to 12 points late in the third quarter and five points with just over two minutes to play.
Lutheran led by one point with just over one minute left.
The score was tied 65-all at the end of regulation after Palo Verde concluded an amazing 26-11 fourth quarter run. Yellowjacket senior captain Kane Daniels sent the game into overtime on a three-point shot with 10 seconds to play.
When Knights team season scoring leader Mo Al-Asady fouled out, the coaches put the basketball in the hands of Gonzalez, the team’s charismatic New York transplant.
The senior forward/point guard didn’t disappoint his teammates in their quest for a championship ring by scoring 10 of the Knights’ 12 points in the overtime period.
Gonzalez left his imprint on the championship game by scoring the first four points of overtime and then hitting from long range on a pair of three-point shots, including the dramatic game-ender.
Daniels led Palo Verde with 22 points, including eight points in the overtime period.
Lutheran led Palo Verde 34-10 at halftime and 54-39 entering the fourth quarter in the championship game.
It was an exciting game to watch for spectators. The Knights dropped in nine treys while the Yellowjackets sank seven three-point shots.
Palo Verde out-rebounded the Knights 62-50 to stay in the game, led by Terry Daniels with 14 rebounds, Fernando Mejia with 13 rebounds and Logan Whiting with 11 rebounds. Orlando Gunn and Josh Powers each had 11 boards for Lutheran.
The Yellowjackets committed 24 turnovers to the Knights’ 18 turnovers, however.
Jordan Brown (14 points) and James Watts (13 points) joined teammate Gonzalez in double-digit scoring. Al-Asady was limited to eight points — well below his season scoring average of 16.3 points per game — while Powers dropped in seven points, Gunn had seven points and Christian Dufrense contributed three points in the victory.
Terry Daniels (15 points), Manuel Arroyo (12 points) and Dennis Cross (11 points) also scored in double digits for Palo Verde.
SOUTH COUNTY/SAN DIEGO SECTION HONOR ROLL
Boys Basketball Finals
Division IV
(1) Lutheran 77, (3) Palo Verde Valley 73 (OT)
Girls Basketball Finals
Division II
(7) Carlsbad 53, (4) Montgomery 38
Division IV
(2) El Capitan 55, (13) San Ysidro 41
