On a cold Wednesday night, the Galileo Lions beat the visiting Mission Bears 53-52 in the final seconds of an extremely close game. The teams exchanged the lead throughout the game, but the Bears, missing starting forward senior Shaq Fisher, were not playing well enough, and Galileo emerged the ultimate winner.
The game started off with physical play on both sides as Mission forced Galileo to turn the ball over a total of 13 times in the first half. But Mission was unable to produce on the other side of the court, as Galileo’s defense made many shots difficult for the Mission scorers, holding them to just 22 points for the half on 8-26 shooting. The Lions enjoyed a 27-22 lead at the half. Galileo called for just three fouls in the first two segments of the game.
The story of the second half was not much different; it was a highly physical game with both teams struggling to score. In the final seconds of the game, Mission was down 53-52 with 2.2 seconds left on the clock. It was simply a matter of running out of time, as 2.2 seconds and was not enough for the Bears to move the basketball up court and have it positioned for a shot. Mission was unable to attempt a buzzer-beater, as the ball was deflected by the hands of the Galileo defense.
Despite forcing 26 Galileo turnovers and out-rebounding the Lions 29-27, the Bears could not overcome 20 costly turnovers in addition to the abysmal 31 percent (18-58) shooting.
“They outplayed us, I tip my hat off to them,” said head coach Arnold Zelaya shortly after the final buzzer sounded.
Despite the disappointing loss, there were a few bright spots for the Bears. Senior forward Gione Edwards held the hot hand, shooting 4-7 from three-point territory in a 22-point performance with 11 rebounds, three steals and three assists. Senior Miles Prescott also reached double figures on the glass, corralling 10 boards. Junior Kevin Murray scored 14 points and collected five steals. Junior Antoine Porter also played an important role, with eight assists.
The loss drops Mission’s record to 12-8. This is their first defeat in league play; their AAA record is now 5-1.
The Bears hope to bounce back on Friday, Jan. 18, as they return home to take on the Lowell Cardinals (5-1).