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CJ maintains mastery of defeating Carroll

Eagles have won 18 straight in the rivalry spanning 12 years.

Carroll guard Robbie Williams is fouled by Chaminade Julienne's Aaron Hammond in the first half at Carroll High School Friday, Feb. 3, 2012.

E.L. Hubbard Carroll guard Robbie Williams is fouled by Chaminade Julienne's Aaron Hammond in the first half at Carroll High School Friday, Feb. 3, 2012.

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By Dave Long, Contributing Writer 12:55 AM Saturday, February 4, 2012

RIVERSIDE — Carroll almost broke the streak Friday night. But as usual, Chaminade Julienne found a way to win.

The Eagles defeated Carroll 53-51 in a Greater Catholic League North Division boys high school basketball game as Justin Clark, a 5-foot-10 junior guard, made two free throws with 18 seconds remaining.

Those shots gave CJ a 53-48 lead. Carroll took four 3-point shots in the ensuing possession, missing three until D.J. McCommons — who scored 15 of 20 points in the fourth quarter — finally dropped in a trey with two seconds left.

CJ (12-5) keeps the lead in the GCL North at 8-3 with three league games left.

Carroll (9-7) is in third place at 4-6, a great improvement over last season when the Pats were 1-13 in the GCL, 5-16 overall.

CJ has now defeated Carroll 18 straight games over 12 years dating to the 1999-2000 season. Carroll is 0-12 vs. CJ in GCL play since joining the league for the 2006-07 season.

“I’m very happy to get out of here with the win,” said CJ coach Joe Staley. “This was just like every game we’ve played here for at least the last 15 years. It’s a tough, intense game because the kids all know each other.

“They play on CYO and AAU teams together growing up. A lot of the families go to the same mass. So it’s more personal to a lot of the kids.”

The difference was CJ’s ability to complement the 20-point, 13-rebound inside game of 6-5 John Staley with 7-for-13 three-point shooting. Clark (16 points) was 4-for-6 from beyond the arc and sophomore Justin Bibbs (13 points) was 3-for-5.

Clark and Bibbs combined for five second-quarter 3-pointers for a 28-16 halftime lead. It was 32-16 two minutes into the third period.

What appeared to be a runaway became a game when Carroll got some points around the basket from Brent Dickerson and a couple of Jake Johnson 3-point shots.

McCommons warmed up in the fourth quarter, CJ stopped attacking and things got interesting. Carroll cut the lead to six on five occasions but couldn’t make it a one-possession game.

Johnson (11 points) finally bottomed out a 3 with 25 seconds left before Clark converted his free throws.

“Frustrating, very frustrating,” Carroll coach Dennis Wahle said. “We just couldn’t get that big shot to fall when we needed it.”

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