This scene can only be seen in a Los Angeles gym. Monday night at Village Christian, two NBA fathers stood next to each other, cheering and coaching their sons. USC assistant coach Will Conroy, father of Village Christian freshman Will Conroy Jr., and Matt Barnes, father of Crespi twins Isaiah and Carter Barnes, continued to try to lead their sons to victory.
In the end, it was Conroy, who had just turned 15, who hit a 3-pointer from the top with 2.4 seconds left to break the tie and lift undefeated Village Christian to a 78-77 victory over Crespi. Conroy finished with 28 points, including the final two baskets, for Village Christian (4-0), showing poise and confidence under pressure.
“I train specifically for moments like this in the game all the time,” Conroy said. “It’s a normal shot for me.”
Crespi (4-1) played without head coach Derek Fisher, who had conflicts with his duties as a broadcast commentator for NBA games. Former Moorpark and Chaminade coach Ryan Moore, Crespi's assistant, has taken over the coaching job. Isaiah Barnes scored 27 points and Nikon Daei had 21 points for Crespi, which faces Jay Serra and Redondo Union later this week in a tough three-game road game.
Village Christian got help from 6-foot-11 Deion Lewis and Aaro Salo, who each scored 15 points. The Crusaders have players from Brazil, Mexico and Finland this season. But the biggest acquisition is Conroy, a point guard with a big future.
Inglewood 95, Cypress 80: Jason Crow Jr. continued his quest for the state scoring record with 50 points for Inglewood.
Cleveland 81, Blair 65: Sergin Deme finished with 36 points for the Cavaliers.
Long Beach Milliken 59, Beverly Hills 55: Freshman Kwali Giran scored 25 points and JoJo Wicker had 20 points for the Rams.
Mira Costa 69, Chadwick 24: Pax Bell scored 17 points in Mira Costa's 6-1 win.
Eastvale Roosevelt 94, Murrieta Valley 58: Freshman Travis Walton Jr. scored 36 points for Roosevelt.
Bishop Alemany 78, Narbonne 42: Austin Acey had 27 points and 12 rebounds in Alemany's 5-0 run.
