BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : Last-Second Shot by Phinnessee Gives Bell-Jeff 44-43 Victory

D’Artagnan Phinnessee hit a 17-foot baseline jump shot with one second to play Tuesday night to lift Bell-Jeff High over Notre Dame, 44-43, and tighten the San Fernando Valley League standings.

With 1 minute 12 seconds left and his team trailing, 43-42, Bell-Jeff’s Victor Nunez stole the ball from Paul Hewitt. The Guards ran down the clock and called consecutive timeouts with 29 and 14 seconds remaining.

“I was glad to see him hit the shot,” Bell-Jeff Coach Joe Dunn said of Phinnessee, who missed the month of December after cutting his hand in a kitchen accident. “He’s had enough bad luck, maybe this will turn it around.”

Notre Dame (9-8, 3-2 in league play) led by as many as seven points in the fourth quarter but was unable to notch a field goal in the final 4:31.

Bell-Jeff (7-10, 3-2) converted 14 of 16 free throws.

The Knights were paced by Steve Colella, who scored 15. Bobby DaCorsi, Notre Dame’s leading scorer, and Paul Hewitt each added seven.

Nunez, a transfer from Notre Dame, scored 16 for Bell-Jeff. Brian Camacho contributed eight, and Iggy Castro and Marvin Martinez scored six each.

VALLEY BASKETBALL TOP 10

Selected by sportswriters of The Times

Last Rk Wk Team League Record 1 1 Cleveland North Valley 15-4 2 3 Grant East Valley 15-3 3 4 Antelope Valley Golden 15-3 4 2 No. Hollywood Mid-Valley 16-2 5 7 Granada Hills North Valley 13-7 6 5 Taft North Valley 13-6 7 6 Royal Marmonte 16-4 8 10 Canyon Golden 13-5 9 NR Burroughs Foothill 11-6 10 10 Harvard S.F. Valley 16-2

NR--Not ranked.

Through Tuesday’s games.