Saugus boys basketball edges Valencia for another win in Foothill League

VALENCIA – It was déjà vu of sorts for the Saugus boys basketball team in a 54-50 win over Valencia on Tuesday night, as a second-quarter run propelled them in front in a key Foothill League game.

The Centurions had won in similar fashion Friday against Canyon, 64-50, in league play. In that game, they made their big run in the fourth quarter.

“For us, it just fuels our confidence,” Saugus forward Braydon Harmon said of the victory. “In the beginning, we were ranked lower (than other teams), but for us we’re just trying to prove people wrong, that we belong.”

Harmon finished with 23 points and five rebounds as Saugus improved to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in league.

Valencia (7-3, 1-1) led 10-6 at the end of the first quarter and stretched that lead to 18-6 before guard Derek Hsu hit a jump shot to pull the Centurions within 10 with 4:07 remaining in the second quarter.

The floodgates opened for Saugus from that point on, as they went on a 14-2 run to take a 22-20 lead into halftime.

Saugus began the third quarter on an 8-2 run before a 3-pointer from Valencia junior guard Romel McCoy cut the lead to 30-25.

McCoy, who finished with 12 points, made his presence felt again when he finished through contact to get an and-one that forced Saugus to call a timeout while leading 34-31with 1:32 remaining in the third quarter.

From there, Harmon took over for Saugus, responding with an and-one of his own to put the Centurions up 37-31.

Valencia came back fighting though when junior guard Christian Byrne made a 3-pointer to cut Saugus’ lead to 37-34 at the end of the third quarter.

Four minutes into the fourth, Valencia cut the Saugus’ lead to 46-44 after another 3-pointer from Byrne, and the Centurions called a timeout with 3:31 remaining with the score still the same.

At that point, junior point guard Aiden Pisarnwongs came up huge for the Centurions, making a tough scoop shot layup with his right hand over tight Valencia defense to put his team up 48-44 with three minutes left.

Valencia again didn’t stop fighting though, as an and-one tied the score at 48 apiece with 1:50 remaining.

But Harmon, who scored 18 points in the second half, responded with another and-one of his own to put Saugus back up by three with a minute and a half left, quieting a raucous Valencia crowd.

“For me, I love the crowd,” Harmon said. “It hypes me up and allows me to play better with a little fire in me.”

The subject of the crowd’s ire put the game on ice with a well-timed cut for a layup to put Saugus up 53-48, showing a finishing ability that the coaching staff helped him improve on in the second half.

“They were telling me I needed to stay poised,” Harmon said, “play off two feet and just finishing as high as I can at the basket.”

Saugus head coach Alfredo Manzano talked about how key Harmon will be for Saugus as it goes through the regular season.

“He’s super important,” he said. “He needs to average double digits in rebounds and he’ll get his points. We run some stuff for him, but he’ll get his points with rebounds, putbacks, in transition. All that stuff. He’s huge for us.”