NORTH HOLLYWOOD BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT : Sustained Effort Lifts Chatsworth Past Grant

After crawling through the final minutes a day earlier in a win over Monroe, Chatsworth High saved something for the final quarter Thursday night and beat Grant, 41-36, in the semifinals of the North Hollywood boys’ basketball tournament.

Trailing, 33-32, with four minutes to play, the Chancellors (3-5) turned into sprinters and outdistanced Grant (2-3) down the stretch. Chatsworth had scored only four points in the fourth quarter in holding off Monroe, 56-55, in the opening round.

Brady Mertes scored on a lay-in with 3 minutes 45 seconds remaining to start Chatsworth on a decisive 9-3 run. Playing with four fouls, Mertes scored six of his game-high 15 points in the fourth quarter. He added 12 rebounds overall.

Chancellor Coach Sandy Greentree said it took his team time to adjust to Grant’s zone defense. “That’s the first zone we’ve seen all season,” he said. “Adjusting to it was very tough.”

Greentree credited a switch to a 1-3-1 offense with sparking Chatsworth’s surge.

Neither team could build more than a three-point lead until a follow shot by Toriq Hill and a three-point basket by Marcel Wilson gave Chatsworth a 39-33 advantage with 2:12 to play.

Using the four-corner offense effectively to milk the clock, the Chancellors extended their lead, 41-33, with 1:30 to go on Javier Jimenez’s pull-up jump shot from the free-throw line.

Chatsworth stymied Grant in the fourth quarter with aggressive man-to-man defense, forcing the Lancers into five turnovers and four-of-nine shooting.

Guard Chi Chen and center Rick Forscutt paced Grant with nine points each.

North Hollywood 64, El Camino Real 48--Fantasia Johnson converted a three- point play with 2:13 to play to begin an 11-0 run for the Huskies (9-0), who will meet Chatsworth in the final tonight at 7. North Hollywood defeated Chatsworth in last year’s final, 67-64.

El Camino Real (3-1) closed to within 53-48 before North Hollywood began the 11-point spree.

Anson Credille led the Huskies with 20 points. Johnson (14), Arthur Lee (12) and Damon Ollie (10) also scored in double figures.

Sam Sarpong paced the Conquistadores with 15 points and Charles Adams added 11. El Camino Real plays Monroe at 5:30 p.m. for third place.

Canoga Park 60, Reseda 57--Glenn Davis drilled a pair of three-point field goals and four free throws during the final four minutes to guide Canoga Park (3-3) to a consolation semifinal win.

Davis had only five points entering the fourth quarter but scored 13 in the final period to finish with 18. Demond Callahan had 20 points and Jody Edington added 14 for the Hunters.

Canoga Park trailed, 47-43, with 4:30 to play but outscored Reseda, 17-10, the rest of the way. Trenton Cross, who led the Regents (1-5) with 30 points, missed a three-point shot at the buzzer.

Monroe 69, Granada Hills 54--Kenyatta Niles scored 20 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and Jeff Nadeau added 15 points to pace Monroe (5-1) in a consolation semifinal.

The Vikings used a 22-15 outburst in the second quarter to build a 37-29 halftime edge and cruised in the second half. Jess Brown scored 20 points to pace Granada Hills (1-7).

Monroe will meet Canoga Park today at 4 p.m. for the consolation championship.