Schools
Nighthawks Fall to Villa Park in Boys Basketball CIF Quarterfinal
Murrieta Valley's gutsy performance was not enough; Nighthawks were eliminated from the CIF Southern Section Division 2AA Playoffs.
Kevin Padlo’s 22 points were not enough Friday as Murrieta Valley's varsity boys basketball team let victory slip away in the final minutes of its quarterfinal playoff game against Villa Park.
The Nighthawks trailed the entire evening against a resilient, gritty and taller Villa Park team that featured 6-foot-10-inch, 280-pound Lamont Tyler at center—5 inches taller than any Nighthawk. Despite the height disadvantage, Murrieta hung tough on the boards and almost pulled the win out of the bag in the fourth period.
But they had no answer for Tyler.
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The Nighthawks took a 56-54 lead when Reid Bohanan scored on a put-back with three minutes, 32 seconds left to play. Bohanan had tied the game earlier at 50 apiece after sinking two free throws.
Villa Park answered with Tyler, who overcame foul trouble and scored the last five Spartan points in the final two minutes. Murrieta Valley could not rally back, and missed critical shots down the stretch.
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Final score: Villa Park 66, Nighthawks 61.
Padlo had eight rebounds to add to his 22 points. Mitch Lenhart was also in double figures for the Hawks, tallying 13 points. Thomas Alexndre scored nine, Tyler Bilton eight, Talon Watkins six and Reid Bohanan four for Murrieta Valley.
Trouble at the charity stripe continued to plague the Nighthawks. They missed 10 out of 18 free throws against the Spartans.
"...Just the fact that they continue to play hard, it gives us a lot of excitement around here," said Murrieta Valley coach Steve Tarabilda. "We're so happy with our guys because they've improved so much as a team. We couldn't be more proud of them for as far as they've come and as much improvement—individual improvement, team improvement—just playing with heart, making a comeback in the fourth quarter."
Despite the loss, the season was a success for Murrieta Valley and the future looks bright. The Nighthawks will return four of their starters next season. Departing are seniors Jordan Watts, A.J. Wharton, Jonathan Grosdidier, Justin Durham and Team Captain Talon Watkins.
