Century Holds On for First Playoff Victory : Division I-A: Centurions turn back University, 63-61, despite Zeigler’s 33 points.

SANTA ANA —  Century absorbed a 33-point effort by Demitrius Zeigler and University’s furious fourth-quarter rally before escaping with the school’s first Southern Section boys’ basketball playoff victory, a 63-61 triumph Tuesday at Century High.

Thomas Harmon scored 25 points and Ronnie Aristondo added 20 to help Century build an 11-point fourth-quarter lead, but the Centurions needed two defensive stands in the final 12 seconds.

Century (23-4) will play Friday at Edison, a 65-31 winner over Dana Hills, in the Division I-A second round. University finished 14-12.

“We’ve made the playoffs all four years we’ve had a varsity team,” Century Coach Greg Coombs said, “but this is the first victory.”

Zeigler almost kept Century winless in the playoffs, scoring 14 fourth-quarter points, while making 12 of 20 from the field and eight of 10 at the free throw line in the game . . . all on a sprained ankle he suffered Feb. 4.

“Demi did everything he could to keep us from losing,” University Coach Mike Dinneen said. “I’m really proud of our kids because we came back and played really hard.

“It was a great game, but we came up two points short.”

With 12 seconds remaining and University trailing, 63-61, Zeigler drove from the right wing. He drew three defenders when he went up for the shot, but Harmon blocked it out of bounds with two seconds remaining. Zeigler never saw the ball again and University did not get a shot off as the clock ran out on the final in-bounds play.

“On defense, Curtis Arrington stayed right with Zeigler down the stretch,” Coombs said. “Zeigler didn’t get a real good look at the basket in the final minutes, and he still made some of those . . . he’s a heck of a player.”

Harmon’s blocked shot helped save the game in the end, but his third-quarter offensive outburst gave control to Century.

Harmon scored 14 points in the third quarter, making seven of seven field goals in the quarter when Century took a 50-40 lead. The Centurions were 10 of 12 from the field in the third quarter.

But University got back in the game with an 8-0 run to pull to 53-50 on a left-handed hook by Zeigler with five minutes left.