SoCalHoops High School News

Buckley Beats Providence In
Paul SuttonTribute Game--(Jan 28, 2000)

Bobby Knight has nothing on Dan Haasch, head coach of the Buckley Griffins.  Haasch coached last night against two of his former players, and didn't throw any chairs, didn't berate the media and didn't swear either in the process, although he might have wanted to when Buckley (14-2, 8-0 in league), in a tough battle for first place in the Liberty League, managed to score only 4 points in the second quarter.    But the unbeaten in league Griffins, currently ranked No. 7 in D-VAA, with a shot at moving up in the CIF rankings this week with the loss by No. 6 St. Anthony on Wednesday night, managed to regain their form and ended the drought with a 23 point fourth quarter scoring run that put the game away against league rival Providence, a Division IV-A team currently ranked No. 5 in their division in CIF.  Buckley won 55-47, and is now a game and a half ahead of Providence. 

Prior to the game, the LA Times' Mike Bresnahan wrote about the coaching duel: "For those who enjoyed the Bobby Knight-Steve Alford saga last week, the mentor-student theme is being revisited this week.  Dan Haasch of Buckley is coaching against two of his former players, Robert Mena and Paolo Velasco of Providence. . . . Haasch coached Mena and Velasco when he was an assistant at Providence in 1990-91.  If recent form holds true, Buckley will defeat Providence.  Knight, legendary coach at Indiana, defeated his former player, Alford, in a game last week between the Hoosiers and Iowa, where Alford is a first-year coach.  "I hope we have the same result they did," Haasch said."   Hope doesn't win games, and the Griffins stepped up just at the right time, exploding for a 23 point fourth quarter. 

The game was covered by Steve Galluzo of the LA Times and Brian Vanderbrug, a staff photographer:

Providence Hopes End On Buckley's 10-2 Finish
Steve Galluzo, Special to the Times

David Gale (14) had 12 points and nine rebounds for Buckley High in 55-47 victory over Providence (Photo by Brian Vanderbrug--LA Times)

Colin Ward-Henninger scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Buckley High outscored Providence, 10-2, in the final two minutes of a 55-47 Liberty League boys' basketball victory Thursday night at Buckley.  Ward-Henninger, a 6-foot-3 junior forward averaging 19.8 points per game, scored only one point in the second and third quarters combined, but elevated his game when it mattered most. 

David Gale added 12 points and nine rebounds for Buckley (14-2, 8-0 in league play), which remained in first place ahead of the Pioneers (15-4, 7-2).  Shant Bekmezian scored 20 points and Pierre Kascinta added 13 for Providence.

Ward-Henninger scored Buckley's first six points and finished with 10 in the first quarter as Buckley opened up a 17-12 lead. But the Griffins made only two of 15 shots in the second quarter and managed four points, a season low for a quarter for the Griffins. 

Providence took its first lead, 22-21, on a three-pointer by Bekmezian with 1:16 left until halftime. 

"Our offense went into a drought for a long time and that's unusual," said Coach Dan Haasch of Buckley. "I knew we would come out of it eventually. I was just hoping we wouldn't be too far behind."  Kascinta, a 6-2 senior forward averaging 17 points a game, hit a five-foot hook shot in the lane to give Providence a 34-32 lead at the end of the third quarter. 

Buckley bounced back, using a 9-1 run to take a 42-37 lead with 4:30 left to play.  Providence took a 43-42 lead, but Ward-Henninger answered with a three-pointer.  Bekmezian sank two free throws to tie the game, 45-45, with 2:28 left. 

Mike Lalazerian of Buckley drives on Shant Bekmezian, who had 20 points for Providence (Photo by Brian Vanderbrug--LA Times)

Buckley took over from there. Gale hit a three-pointer, fed Royal Weaver for a fastbreak layup and hit a free throw to give the Griffins a 51-45 lead with just under a minute left.  "I went with a bigger lineup late in the game to try to get defensive pressure and cause turnovers," Haasch said. "The zone we used only works if all five guys are doing the right thing. Fortunately, we rose to the occasion at the right time."  Coach Paolo Velasco and assistant Robert Mena of Providence played for Haasch while he was an assistant at Providence in 1990-91. 

Buckley, ranked No. 7 in Southern Section Division V-AA, played without starting guard Adam Paster, who sat out because of a broken finger on his left
hand.  Gale, who leads the region with 5.7 steals per game [sic--6.1], had six steals against the Pioneers, two in the last 53 seconds.  Derek Jones gave Providence, ranked No. 5 in Division IV-A, its biggest lead, 28-22, with a 10-foot jumper early in the third quarter.  The game was played in honor of Paul Sutton, former coach at Providence, who died last August of colon cancer.  Proceeds from ticket and concession sales went to a trust fund for Sutton's two children. [Note: The Buckley administration also announced at the game that the school would match the  proceeds of the game, including any donations--there were several large contributions-- thus doubling the amount.]

Here's the complete scoring and the box:

Providence--Bekmezian 20, Kascinta 13, Vaca 6, Jones 7, Pedraja 1. Buckley--Ward-Henninger 17 and 10 rebounds, Gale 12 and 9 rebouns, 7 assists [sic 10], 6 steals, Lalazerian 5, Weaver 9, Sivilingham 4, Leonov 2, Clancy 2, Scannell 4.  
Records:  Providence 15-4, 7-2 in league; Buckley 14-2, 8-0.

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