City 3-A Semifinals : Birmingham, Granada Hills Gain Final

Center Gary Gray had a game-high 32 points, including 21 in the second half, and 12 rebounds to lead Granada Hills High School to an 80-67 win over San Fernando in a City 3-A Division semifinal game Friday night at Granada Hills.

Teammate Sam Puathasnanon, a 6-foot 5-inch forward, added 29 points for Granada Hills on 9-of-12 shooting and 11 of 13 from the free-throw line. It was the second straight game that Puathasnanon had scored a season high.

Granada Hills (19-4) trailed, 36-33, at halftime but scored the first eight points in the third quarter and took a 56-51 lead into the fourth quarter.

In the third quarter, Gray had 10 points, and Puathasnanon added 9. San Fernando finished the season 15-9.

Birmingham 58, Los Angeles 56--Guard Ennerea Maxwell led top-seeded Birmingham (22-2) with 32 points, and teammate Keith Owens added 11 as the Braves defeated Los Angeles, 58-56, in the other semifinal game at Birmingham. Christopher Knight scored 19 points for Los Angeles, which finished 16-9.

The Granada Hills-Birmingham final Friday night at the Sports Arena will match the champion and the runner-up from the Northwest Valley League.

In their first two meetings, the teams split. League champion Birmingham won the first game, 83-78, and Granada Hills won the second, 74-68.