After 1-11 start, Mission wins San Francisco Section title with 3-OT win

SAN FRANCISCO — For the entire fourth quarter and three overtime periods, the more than 1,500 fans at Kezar Pavilion stood, screamed, winced and cheered.

Mission-San Francisco's 78-71 win over Lincoln (San Francisco) for the San Francisco Section championship was more than a little wild and woolly. It left players, coaches and fans exhausted and searching for words.

Ultimately, the guard play of Antoine Porter (23 points) and Kevin Murray (22) was enough to wear down Lincoln to win their second straight SFS title and third in four years. The game featured 18 lead changes and 10 ties after intermission.

"I've been involved and seen basketball games my whole life, but I've never seen anything like this," Mission coach Arnold Zelaya said.

Said Lincoln coach Matt Jackson: "Crazy. I've never ever experienced anything like that. It came down to whoever wanted it more in the end."

Mission's title was as unlikely as the game itself. The Bears (15-14) started the season 1-11, but despite, injury, academic woes and a series of suspensions, they pulled it together in the end.

Just like Friday.

"Scotch tape, bubble gum and spit," Zelaya said. "These guys just held together and they believed in each other and in numbers."

Over a taller squad that was supposed to have edge down low, Mission beat Lincoln badly on the boards and to most loose balls.

"We just out-quicked them," Zelaya said.

Lincoln's 6-foot-7 junior Seth Snoddy was in great position all night and had a team-high 22 points. His 6-2 forward in the block Davion Telfor added 18 points and tenacious and quick Demetrius Williams , a 5-9 guard, had 15 points.

But Mission was a little quicker and tougher. Most times Lincoln grabbed a defensive rebound, Mission would rip it loose or deflect an outlet pass. Mission also grabbed 21 offensive rebounds.

Mission fought back from a 22-14 deficit with a 14-2 run to close the first half, finished off with four free throws and a driving hoop by Porter. That gave the Bears a 28-24 halftime lead.

But Lincoln scored seven of the first nine to start the second half to take a 31-30 lead, and from that point forward, this one was on.

"We weathered their storm and then played our game," Zelaya said.

Both teams played the style that got them to this point — Lincoln down low and Mission from the perimeter and slashing to the rim.

Long three-pointers by Murray tied the game at 50 and 53 and eventually the score was knotted at 56 with 26.7 seconds remaining in regulation. Both teams missed chances, there were two wild scrambles for loose balls but ultimately no one got off a decent shot.

In the first overtime, Porter, who had just one point the second half, took over for the Bears with driving layup, free throw and long three to tie the game at 63 with 1:11 left in the first overtime. Telfor hit a tough driving layup, to put Lincoln up 65-63, but Kerian Pope responded with a tough putback to tie things with 13.2 seconds left.

"Pope was huge for us tonight," Zelaya said.

In the final 13.2 seconds left, no one got a decent look up, sending the game into a second overtime.

The pace of the game evidently took as each time managed just a bucket and two free throws, the last of them by Porter, to tie the game at 69 heading into a third overtime.

There, Lincoln just appeared to run out of a steam as it barely ran any offense or tried to work the ball down low to its bigs.

In the meantime, Murray and Ronald Murrilo hit quick jumpers and Lincoln could never catch up, scoring just one meaningless hoop from Tarrez Blaylock with 1:01 remaining.

The Bears made three free throws down the stretch and Murillo added another hoop. Both teams barely had enough energy to shake hands afterward.

Porter had 12 of his game-high total after regulation. Pope added 12 points overall and Anthony Bonds 11.

"It's the story of (Porter's) career," Zelaya said. "He's amazing when the lights shine brightest."

Lincoln, after its first title since 2003, dropped to 17-13. Both teams qualified for next week's CIF Northern California tournament.

"We had our chances," Jackson said. "We simply didn't take advantage of our opportunities. Their guards are tough. My hats are off to them."