Banning Repeats Itself in Victory Over Monroe, 77-75

NORTH HOLLYWOOD — Just like old times, eh? Deja vu . Second verse, same as the first.

“It was an instant replay,”’ Banning High Coach Marc Paez said. “Best instant replay I’ve ever seen.”

In a rematch of last year’s City Section 3-A Division championship game between Banning and Monroe, the punch line was exactly the same in the first round of the North Hollywood tournament.

With the game on the line, Monroe was unable to make a last-second shot and Banning again weathered the storm, 77-75. “They just missed at the Sports Arena,” said Paez, a former Cleveland coach, “and they just missed here.”

Despite trailing by 16 points at the half, Monroe (1-4) scratched its way back with a strong defensive effort that forced 18 second-half turnovers by the Pilots (3-4). Kenyatta Niles scored 11 of his 29 points in the third quarter as Monroe closed to within 53-47.

Banning, which won last year’s 3-A title game, 59-58, seemingly put Monroe away a half-dozen times in the fourth quarter, but Shaka Stiner (17 points) and Kashon Griffin hit three-pointers in the final half-minute and the Vikings were within two points.

Monroe fouled Eric Jett with six seconds left. Banning faced the same situation in the 3-A final . . . and the outcome was the same.

Jett missed and Niles rebounded. Monroe got the ball the Griffin, whose 10-footer missed at the buzzer.

Jason Pickett scored 38 points for Banning.

Banning will face North Hollywood tonight at 8:30 in the semifinals.

In other first-round games:

Dorsey 53, El Camino Real 51--The Conquistadores led, 37-30, with 2:29 left in the third quarter but wilted under Dorsey’s trapping defense.

The Conquistadores (2-2) turned the ball over six times in the fourth quarter as Dorsey (4-0) rallied behind Terrell McKnight.

Robert Knox (14 points) scored on a 15-foot jump shot with 1:45 left to give El Camino Real a 49-48 lead, but the Conquistadores didn’t score again until a basket by All-City guard Charles Adams (19 points) in the final seconds.

Chatsworth 59, Grant 52--The Chancellors led, 36-22, at halftime but nearly let Grant (2-1) climb back into the game. A three-point basket by Ali Kamirian (20 points) with 40 seconds remaining cut Chatsworth’s lead to 56-52.

But sophomore center Eddie Miller (12 points) blocked Shawn Hackett’s shot and scored the final basket for Chatsworth (5-2).

North Hollywood 76, Granada Hills 60--Despite playing with a case of the flu, senior center Damon Ollie scored 19 points and added 16 rebounds as the Huskies came from behind.