Were it not for the clock, Compton and Lutheran could have played evenly all day. Even with a clock, the two teams almost did.
Behind Grant Jarrett’s 35 points and a series of increasingly clutch baskets, Lutheran (La Verne, Calif.) bested Compton 98-95 in a four-overtime, final day National Division opener.
Jarrett had company from Compton’s Victor Robbins. The Tarbabe forward’s outstanding tournament ended at a crescendo with 30 points. Robbins demonstrated his long range shooting ability, starting the chain of increasingly improbable buzzer beaters with an NBA range 3-pointer before the end of regulation.
Robbins scored 30 points, but fouled out in the first extra frames.
“[Being unable to play] was tough,” Robbins said. “I did what I could from the bench, telling guys where to be. But we would have won if I could have been out there.”
Even without their leading scorer, the Tarbabes nearly left the Holiday Classic with the victory. Isaiah Bailey and Chris Lewis both provided big buckets in the overtimes. Bailey finished with 21 points, including a banked 3-pointer to lead to the final overtime, and Lewis notched 17 points.
Guard Lorenzo Murphy stopped on a dime after bringing an errant inbound pass up-court and connected on the triple that forced OT No. 3.
There to help Lutheran answer each and every Compton charge was guard Eric Cooper Jr. He scored all 14 of his points after the third quarter, including 7-of-8 the free throw line. McKay Anderson added 17 points to supplement Jarrett’s exemplary morning.
The Trojans’ 6-foot-10 and Arizona-committed center played a complete game: eight rebounds, six blocks, four steals and an assist to go with his game high 35 points.
Compton managed to quiet Jarrett in the second half. After he burst for 20 points by halftime, the Tarbabes threw double-and-triple-team traps whenever he caught the ball. Jarrett ended regulation with 25 points, but rose up in the extra frames.
Jarrett was named to the All-Tournament Team. He finished the four-game stretch with 72 points.
Civic Sports is offering a team website