By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor Friday night’s Pacific League and crosstown rivalry was all it was billed to be. There was a huge and boisterous crowd for both teams, they both had at least 8-point leads at some point during the game, and both schools closed with a ferocity that would make each of their […]
By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor
Friday night’s Pacific League and crosstown rivalry was all it was billed to be.
There was a huge and boisterous crowd for both teams, they both had at least 8-point leads at some point during the game, and both schools closed with a ferocity that would make each of their administrations and fan bases proud.
In the end, though, the Pasadena ‘Big Three’ were too much, as the Bulldogs held off a very feisty Muir team, 69-66.
Bryce Hamilton, Darius Brown and Darius Mason combined for 56 points to give Pasadena (14-5 overall, 7-0 in league) a two-game cushion in the Pacific League standings as they head into the start of the second half of league play.
Muir (12-7, 5-2) got off to a really quick start and got Hamilton in foul trouble early.
The Mustangs got out to a 21-12 lead in the first quarter and held a 31-23 advantage late in the first half.
But Darius Brown’s 3-pointer at the buzzer got the Bulldogs to within 34-33 at the break, and gave the Bulldogs momentum they took into a decisive third quarter.
Hamilton led all scorers with 25 points, and he also collected 7 rebounds and 4 assists.
“Bryce Hamilton showed a lot of resilience,” Pasadena coach Tony Brooks said. “Things weren’t working for him early. Hunter (Woods) started incredibly shooting the ball for them. For Bryce to pull himself up and be resilient, is a testament to his mental toughness.”
Hunter Woods paced Muir with 20 points, while Tiyon Martin had 17 and Eric Hollins chipped in with 13 points.
It was the 17-8 Pasadena surge in the third quarter that gave the Bulldogs as much as a 46-36 bulge.
“We came out and played to the best of our ability,” Hamilton said. “We came out slow, and when I got my 3 fouls, our team stepped up. It was a fun environment to play in. My job was to score and move the ball around and I thought we did a pretty good job of that.”
Brown finished with 18 points and had 6 rebounds, and Mason scored 13 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and dished out 3 assists.
“[The win] was a big confidence boost for us,” Darius Brown said. “My role was to take control of the pace of the game and do what Coach Brooks asked of me.”
Nobody on the Pasadena side made this out to be anything more than just one more win, but being tested and passing with flying colors was huge for the Bulldogs.
“It’s big for us, because we failed at Bonita in the playoffs last year, and close games like this in league and to be tested is good for us,” Brown said. “It was a great energy in the gym and we wanted to show everybody who the better team was. We got more stops. We did a great job hitting our free throws down the stretch, and it came down to defense.”
Muir will next host Hoover on Tuesday at 6:30, and then the Mustangs with travel to Glendale on Friday at 7.
Pasadena hosts Burroughs on Tuesday at 6, and Crescenta Valley on Friday at 7.
Kalonji West had 6 points and 6 boards for Pasadena, and Jesse Watkins added 6 more.
Muir hit every shot they took early, it seemed,” Brooks said. “It wasn’t for our lack of defense. They were just playing terrific. Muir is going to be right in the mix at the end. We do have control of our destiny, but there are a lot of shooters in this league, so anything can happen.”
For Muir, they proved they can play with the best the Pacific League has to offer, but the loss will sting for a few days.
When asked what his take on Friday night’s incredible showing for both teams, Muir coach Simeane Stewart kept it simple.
“Adversity builds character!”
Box Score:
Pasadena: 15-18-17-19-(69)
Muir: 24-10-8-24-(66)
Pacific League Standings:
Pasadena (14-5 overall, 7-0 in league)
Muir (12-7, 5-2)
Crescenta Valley (13-6, 5-2)
Burbank (14-5, 3-3)
Burroughs (11-7, 3-3)
Arcadia (9-10, 2-5)
Glendale (9-10, 1-5)
Hoover (6-12, 0-6)
