GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - The Campolindo Cougars captured the title of the 67th annual Gridley Invitational Basketball Tournament.

The Cougars played the Archbishop Riordan High School Crusaders in the championship game after defeating Gridley High School 89-17 in the first round and coming back to win in the 4th quarter to beat De La Salle High School 48-41 in the second round.

The first half of the championship game was back and forth like a rickety old rowboat on rough seas. Campolindo played a clean first quarter not turning the ball over and kept out of foul trouble. The Crusaders turned the ball over three times in the first quarter, all of which led to Campolindo points. Neither team was able to separate themselves and after 2 quarters, the game was tied at 21.

However, the third quarter was another story. Led by the tournament’s most valuable player, Aidan Mahaney, Campolindo took control of the game going on a 19-4 run in the third quarter. Fouls by the Crusaders allowed the Cougars to pull away and never look back. The Cougar defense played zone and was able to prevent Archbishop Riordan from driving the ball through the lane to the basket. The Crusaders were denied easy layups and had to shoot from distance to score. The score after 3 quarters was 40-25.

In the 4th quarter the Campolindo offense slowed down only scoring 8 points, but they played for time of possession rather than scoring, knowing that they could easily run out the clock with a 17 point lead. Despite Archbishop Riordan’s best efforts, the game’s final score was 48-31.