Ayala Earns Return Trip to the Playoff Quarterfinals

Chino Hills Ayala extended its winning streak to 15 games Tuesday night with a 78-68 victory over Crescenta Valley in the third round of the Southern Section Division I-AA boys’ basketball playoffs at Ayala.

The third-seeded Bulldogs (26-4) made three three-point shots in the fourth quarter and 12 of 13 free throws down the stretch to advance to the quarterfinals for the eighth time.

“We’ve never been able to get past the quarterfinals, but everything is going pretty well right now,” Ayala Coach Tom Gregory said. “Our nucleus is shooting the ball pretty well.”

Marcel Burke scored 20 points, D.J. Lucas had 17, Chris Pacana 16, Marc McCoy 12 and Chasen Jones 11 for Ayala, which led by two points at the end of the third quarter.

“You always hate losing but you don’t mind losing to a well-coached team,” Crescenta Valley Coach Jim Smiley said. “Ayala’s a well-coached team that could win it all.”