Berhalter collars Colts on late bucket

By Ramon Scott
Updated: January 11, 2018

2017 EAST COUNTY PREP BOYS BASKETBALL

EastCountySports.com staff report

SANTEE – Senior NICK BERHALTER scored the go-ahead basket with a drive in the lane with under 10 seconds to play to give the Santana Sultans to a 68-67 non-league win over the visiting Crawford Colts Thursday evening.

Berhalter, who had 19 points and nine rebounds, started his left-handed dribble-drive from the left wing, and after driving past two defenders to the basket, switched the ball back into his right hand while rising to the rim and pushed the short shot through with time ticking down.

Crawford had a shot at a last-second three from the top of the arc, but it caromed off the back iron straight up but out front of the cylinder.

The Colts hit a late three-pointer to take a one-point lead before Berhalter’s confident game-deciding drive to the hoop.

Junior BRANDON SIMMONS and senior ANDREW HITCHCOCK both added 13 points for the Sultans, who improved to 11-6.

The Colts fell to 4-9.

Santana travels to face a tough Pacific Ridge (12-4) club on Friday at 6 in Carlsbad.

LIBERTY CHARTER 59, HEALTH SCIENCES 46 – The Lions got 16 points from senior GABE GRIMM and 15 points from senior CLINTON FULK and improved to 2-1 in the early Summit League campaign with the road victory.

The hot duo has clicked for nearly 33 points per game this season combined.

Liberty built a seven-point lead by halftime, then really clamped down on the Surgeons in the third quarter, extending the lead to 16 points at the end of three periods.

It was the third-straight victory for the Lions.

Junior JAVIEN LANKFORD added nine points for Liberty Charter (6-6), while junior ALEX FERRER added eight points.

Preuss UCSD (10-6, 1-0) will host Liberty on Thursday, January 18 at 4 p.m., as the Lions will be looking for the upset.