Canyon’s bid for back-to-back championships came up just short after Salesian’s defensive stop in overtime of the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section (CIF-SS) Division 7 semifinals sealed the Mustangs’ win.
In the final 17 seconds of overtime, Salesian hit a pair of free throws to take a 61-58 lead. With only seconds remaining, the Cowboys launched multiple shots from beyond the arc in an attempt to force double overtime, but were unable to convert, falling 61-58.
“Credit to Salesian, they made a couple more plays than we did,” said Canyon Head Coach Ali Monfared. “I thought our guys left everything on the line and I’m really proud of them. It didn’t go the way we wanted, but we battled and that’s all I could ask of them.”
Isaac Yuhico was one of the difference-makers in the semifinal matchup, leading Canyon with 20 points.
Isaac Yuhico goes for a three-pointer…