Depleted Crescenta Valley Gets Another Shot at Muir

It’s basketball season, not football, which is good news for Crescenta Valley High.

The Falcons get a second chance to play Muir tonight, three weeks after a 61-35 loss in which they made only 11 of 53 shots, including one three-point basket.

The bad news for the Falcons: Jimmy Goffredo, their second-leading scorer, is out for at least a week with mononucleosis. Goffredo, a sophomore guard who averages 19.2 points, could be out longer depending on blood-test results.

Crescenta Valley (19-5, 7-1 in league play) could tie Muir (22-2, 8-0) for the Pacific League title with a victory.

“We’ve been preparing since the Muir loss for this game, and here we are,” Coach Jim Smiley said.

Chris Luansing, a junior who was called up from the junior varsity team last week, will start in place of Goffredo. Luansing made six three-pointers and had 18 points in his varsity debut against Hoover on Friday.

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Lancaster doesn’t play basketball games. It survives them.

The Eagles are leading the Golden League, but Coach Travis Brown laughs, perhaps uncomfortably, as he compiles their narrow victories.

Beat Highland by one. Beat Palmdale by three. Came from 22 down to beat Antelope Valley in overtime.

Beat Highland again by four points. Palmdale again by one. “You could say we’re keeping the fans interested,” Brown said.

Lancaster (18-5, 7-1) had problems winning close games last season and finished third in the league, but confidence and balance have changed that pattern.

Five Lancaster players average between nine and 12.1 points.

“We don’t have one guy that’s complaining about not getting a lot of points,” Brown said. “We have a lot of guys that could be scoring twice what they are now.”

Lancaster plays at Quartz Hill (16-5, 6-2) on Friday in a regular-season finale that could decide the league champion.

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Quartz Hill senior Tony Johnson, the leading scorer in the Golden League, has sprained a ligament in his left knee, but might play tonight against Highland.

Johnson, who averages 20.9 points, was injured while taking a charge last Tuesday against Antelope Valley and did not play Friday against Palmdale.

An MRI on Monday revealed no serious knee injury. Johnson will try to play wearing a brace.

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Basketball Showdowns

Games this week that will help determine league championships:

Boys

Frontier League: Nordhoff at Santa Paula, 7 p.m., today; Santa Clara at Santa Paula, 7 p.m., Thursday

Golden League: Lancaster at Quartz Hill, 7:30 p.m., Friday

Pacific League: Crescenta Valley at Muir, 4 p.m., today

Sunset Six League: North Hollywood at Grant, 4 p.m., Wednesday

Tri-Valley League: St. Bonaventure at Oak Park, 7:30 p.m., Wednesday

Girls

Alpha League: L.A. Baptist at Paraclete, 4:30 p.m., today

Foothill League: Saugus at Hart, 6:30 p.m., today; Saugus at Valencia, 6 p.m., Thursday

Frontier League: Santa Paula at Santa Clara, 6:30 p.m., Thursday

Golden League: Antelope Valley at Palmdale, 7 p.m., today

Sunset Six League: Grant at North Hollywood, 4 p.m., Wednesday

West Valley League: ECR at Chatsworth, 5 p.m., Wednesday; Taft at ECR, 5 p.m., Friday