BOYS’ BASKETBALL / SOUTHERN REGIONAL ROUNDUP : Late Rally by Verbum Dei Falls Short by One Point

San Diego Lincoln Prep led for most of the game and withstood a late rally to defeat Verbum Dei, 94-93, and win the Southern Regional Division IV boys’ basketball championship Saturday night at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Louis Johnson made the second of two free throws with 15 seconds to play, breaking a 93-93 tie.

Verbum Dei opted not to use its one remaining timeout and tried to run a fast break, but Andre Larry’s shot was blocked by Mark Sanford.

Lincoln Prep’s Deshawn Degrate grabbed the ball and threw it to the other end of the court as time expired.

Sanford had a game-high 32 points and 19 rebounds for Lincoln Prep (24-7).

Andre Miller led Verbum Dei (26-3) with 29 points and 11 rebounds. Teammate Jamal Cobbs scored 24 points.

DIVISION III

Garden Grove Pacifica 60, University of San Diego High 55--Pacifica (30-1) rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit and Chris Vlasic made both ends of four consecutive one-and-ones in the final 1:08 at the Anaheim Arena.

Vlasic, Jon Surface, and Erik Maurer each scored 15 points for Pacifica, which forced nine turnovers in the third quarter and took a 44-42 lead into the fourth.

Pacifica made only one shot in the fourth quarter, but made all 14 of its free throws.

After Clint Cummings, who scored 16 points for USDHS, made one of two free throws to tie the score at 52-52 with 2:05 to play, the Dons (28-4) missed their next three shots and didn’t score again until Josh Merrill made a 30-foot shot at the buzzer.

Merrill, a 6-foot-9 forward who has signed with Pepperdine, scored 10 of his 17 points in the first quarter as the Dons took a 14-6 lead.

Mauricio Perez made a 25-foot shot at the halftime buzzer to give USDHS a 35-24 lead, but Pacifica’s defense clamped down after that.

DIVISION V

Pacific Hills 74, Reedley Immanuel 51--Danny Brummel, a 6-4 senior forward, scored 27 points to lead Pacific Hills (24-8) at Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Westley Allen scored 21 points and Bryan Sterling 20 for the Bruins, who made 33 of 43 shots.

Brummel made 12 of 14 shots.

Brad Robb, Jeff Holman and Todd Croissant each scored 10 points for Reedley Immanuel (27-5).