Crenshaw Holds Its Early Lead, Defeats Fairfax

Crenshaw guard Kevin Ollie made 11 free throws in the fourth quarter to help lead the Cougars to a 74-70 victory over Fairfax on Wednesday night in a City 4-A Division quarterfinal basketball game at Crenshaw.

Crenshaw (21-4), which has won a record four State and 11 City titles, will face Westchester on Friday night in a semifinal game tentatively scheduled at Loyola Marymount.

The Cougars’ depth and pressure defense wore down an overmatched Fairfax team, which relied on a slow-down attack. Crenshaw had problems with Fairfax’s tactics but won the game on the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.

Ollie, a 6-foot-2 senior, finished with 26 points, 20 in the second half. However, his backcourt mate, junior Alexous Scruggs, struggled with only two points.

“We came out flat tonight,” said Crenshaw forward Joey Drake, who finished with 14 points, including four three-point shots. “We’re not a slow team. We usually like to fast break, and they gave us trouble by slowing the ball down and running plays.”

Crenshaw led throughout the first half, with nine players scoring. Fairfax was able to stay in the game with eight points each from center Ryan Hickman and guard Burt Harris.

After trailing, 35-28, at halftime, Fairfax put itself in a deeper hole in the third quarter with cold shooting, Crenshaw opening a 55-41 lead. Drake played a major role in the Cougars’ run with his three-point shooting, and Ollie, who is headed to Connecticut next fall, added nine points in the quarter.

Crenshaw cruised in the fourth quarter until Fairfax rallied in the game’s final two minutes. Behind desperation baskets by Hickman, who finished with 22 points; Harris, who had 17; and Donti Ceruti, who came off the bench to add 13, the Lions closed to within 74-70 at the buzzer.

Fairfax finished the season with a 16-9 record.