Basketball Notebook : Glendale Faces Muir in Key Pacific Game

The Pacific League boys’ title race between Muir and Glendale highs could be decided at 7:30 tonight when the teams meet at Muir. Glendale (17-4, 5-2 in league play) defeated Muir (6-1) in the league’s first round but lost to Hoover and Crescenta Valley.

Glendale last week avenged its loss to the Falcons with a 70-64 victory. Coach Bob Davidson said the Dynamiters will have to play one of their best games of the season to beat Muir.

Glendale had trouble containing Muir’s front line, which averages 6 feet, 7 inches, including 6-8 Wayne Womack, who scored 27 points in the teams’ last meeting.

“We did everything we could,” Davidson said. “But he’s a major force to be dealt with.”

Add Glendale: The Dynamiters converted 13 of 15 fourth-quarter free throws against Crescenta Valley last week. Glendale made only 5 of 10 fourth-quarter free throws in its 68-66 loss to the Falcons.

“They fouled us just about as much,” Davidson said. “We just missed the front end of the one-and-one last time.”

Glendale made 21 of 29 from the line in the game. Crescenta Valley made 8 of 11.

Add Crescenta Valley: The third-place Falcons (12-9, 4-3) can clinch a playoff berth by winning two of their next three games. Crescenta Valley, which has posted 24 winning seasons, has made the playoffs 14 times in John Goffredo’s 16 years as coach.

Close call: South Pasadena nearly ruined La Canada’s perfect Rio Hondo League record last week but fell just short in a 65-63 loss.

La Canada (19-2, 6-0) played most of the game without starting center and leading scorer Chad Givens, who was in constant foul trouble. Givens played without fouling in the first quarter but picked up three fouls in the second, his fourth in the opening minutes of the second half and fouled out early in the fourth quarter.

La Canada last won the league title in 1982.

Broken records?: Chuck Donaghho had predicted that his Franklin team would be competitive in the Northern League this season. He was wrong. But surprisingly, Franklin (8-10, 1-6) already has registered the best record in Donaghho’s four seasons as coach. Franklin finished 1-17 last season.

“I’ve laid awake a lot of nights trying to figure out what’s wrong,” Donaghho said. “We had high expectations because of our good start in the preseason. But then we kind of fell on our faces in league.”

Leveling off: The Pacific League girls’ race has taken on a three-tiered appearance. Pasadena (7-0) and Muir (6-1) are battling for the league title. Hoover (3-4) is alone in third and Crescenta Valley, Arcadia and Glendale are competitive for fourth place.

Hoover has lost only to Pasadena and Muir and likely will meet a first-place team in the opening round of the playoffs.

“We’ll probably meet a ranking team on their home turf,” Coach Bob Henry said. “It’s a formidable assignment.”