Five players scored in double digits for Modesto, which overcame a huge game by West Valley's Momir Gataric to post an 84-75 win over the host Vikings in the 3rd place game of the West Valley tournament Saturday afternoon in Saratoga.
Modesto (7-7) showed that more is indeed better, as the Pirates got double-digit scoring from starters SF Zach Gonzales, Ctr Josh Allen and PF Evan Grimes as well as reserves PF Anthony Hubbard and PG Julius Dixon. And Modesto shot a sizzling 61% from the floor in the second half.
And that was enough to overcome Gataric and his 36-point performance, which came on a tidy 13-for-18 from the floor and included 5 three-pointers. The 6-6 forward, who played at Foothill College in 2011-12, scored the Vikings' first 8 points of the game and kept West Valley close the rest of the way.
West Valley (5-9) trailed by just 2 points at 75-73 after a pair of free throws by SG Malek Kanaan with 3:41 remaining, and by 3 points with just under two minutes to play and had possession of the ball.
But a steal by Dixon led two two free throws, which Dixon made with 1:54 left to push the Modesto lead to 80-75. Gonzales scored on a putback with 1:10 left to make it 82-75, and Allen threw down a dunk with 58.9 seconds left after an outlet pass from Gonzales to punctuate the Pirate victory.
To start the game, Modesto took an early 7-2 lead, only to see West Valley rally to take an 8-7 lead with Gataric scoring all of those Viking points. But Modesto went right back in front on a 3-pointer by Gonzales, and led by as many as 10 points at 30-20.
West Valley answered with a 12-0 run, taking a 32-30 lead on two free throws by Kanaan with 5:20 left in the first half. The lead went back and forth the rest of the half, with West Valley getting a 3-pointer by SF Khalil Johnson with about 45 seconds left in the half to take a 40-39 lead at the break.
West Valley took a 51-47 lead after two free throws by Gataric with 15:43 remaining, but it was a mixed blessing as Gataric turned an ankle on the play and briefly left the game.
Then Modesto went on a 10-1 run, tying the game on a jumper by PF Evan Grimes with 14:06 left. Gataric re-entered the game at that point, but the run continued. Two free throws by Hubbard and two more baskets by Grimes made it 57-52. The Pirate lead reached 8 points at 72-64 after a 3-pointer by Gonzales, and 10 points at 73-63 with 5:30 left after a basket by Dixon.
But West Valley stayed close, getting within four points on a 3-pointer by Kanaan with just over 4 minutes left. Then Kanaan made the two free throws with 3:41 left to make it a 2-point game at 75-73. Gonzales made a three for Modesto, but Johnson made two free throws to bring West Valley back within 3 points at 78-75, and the Vikings had the ball as the clock reached the two-minute mark.
For Modesto, Gonzales had a team-high 19 pts, including 4 threes, plus 6 rebs and 5 asts. Allen had 17 pts, 8 rebs, 3 asts, 3 blocks and 2 steals. Hubbard had 12 pts while Grimes and Dixon had 10 pts each; Dixon also had 4 asts and was 3-for-4 from the floor and 4-for-4 from the line.
For West Valley, Gataric had 36 pts but of his teammates only Kanaan joined him in scoring in double digits. And Kanaan had 15 pts and a team-high 5 asts, but was also just 3-for-14 from the floor with 5 turnovers. PG Rodwell Ong came off the bench and dished out a team-high 7 asts, picking up the slack for a foul-plagued Bill Gray, who picked up 3 fouls in the first half.
box score
2013 West Valley Tournament
Saturday. December 21st @ West Valley College, Saratoga
Third Place Game - 2 pm
Modesto Pirates 84:
1-Eric Melgar, PG - 1/5 fg, 1 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl, 3 pf, 3 pts
5-Joel Ruble, SG - 1/2 fg, 3 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 1 pf, 2 pts
11-Zach Gonzales, SF - 6/10 fg, 3/4 ft, 6 reb, 5 ast, 1 pf, 19 pts
23-Evan Grimes, PF - 4/5 fg, 2/2 ft, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 10 pts
24-Josh Allen, C - 7/18 fg, 3/3 ft, 8 reb, 3 ast, 3 blk, 2 stl, 3 pf, 17 pts
3-Edwin Castellanos, G - 2/5 fg, 2 reb, 4 stl, 4 pf, 6 pts
32-Anthony Hubbard, F - 4/6 fg, 4/4 ft, 2 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk, 2 stl, 3 pf, 12 pts
4-Julius Dixon, G - 3/4 fg, 4/4 ft, 1 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 10 pts
44-Joe Crank, C - 1 pf, 0 pts
21-Blake Terry, G - 2/3 fg, 0/1 ft, 1 reb, 1 stl, 1 pf, 5 pts
10-Keegan Sanchez, F - 1 reb, 1 pf, 0 pts
team rebounds: 3
Totals: 30/58 fg (.517), 16/18 ft (.889), 31 reb, 21 ast, 9 blk, 13 stl, 21 pf, 84 pts
3-pt fg (8): Gonzales 4, Castellanos 2, Melgar, Terry
Technical Foul: Castellanos
Turnovers (18): Gonzales 4, Allen 4, Dixon 3, Grimes 2, Castellanos 2, Melgar, Ruble, Hubbard
West Valley Vikings 75:
15-Momir Gataric, PF - 13/18 fg, 5/5 ft, 5 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 36 pts
20-Bill Gray, PG - 0/3 fg, 3 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 3 pf, 0 pts
22-Malek Kanaan, SG - 3/14 fg, 7/8 ft, 3 reb, 5 ast, 3 pf, 15 pts
23-Khalil Johnson, SF - 2/5 fg, 2/2 ft, 5 reb, 3 ast, 3 pf, 8 pts
33-Tucker Gootee, C - 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 2 pf, 0 pts
24-Larenzo Graham, F - 3/5 fg, 5 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 7 pts
11-Carl Smith, F - 2/5 fg, 2/2 ft, 3 reb, 1 ast, 1 pf, 6 pts
31-Matt Stauber, G - 2/2 ft, 1 pf, 2 pts
32-Rodwell Ong, G - 0/1 fg, 1/2 ft, 2 reb, 7 ast, 1 stl, 1 pt
42-Stephen Butelo, G - 0 pts
team rebounds: 1
Totals: 23/52 fg (.442), 19/21 ft (.905), 28 reb, 20 ast, 0 blk, 6 stl, 16 pf, 75 pts
3-pt fg (10): Gataric 5, Kanaan 2, Johnson 2, Graham
Technical Foul: Kanaan
Turnovers (20): Kanaan 5, Gataric 4, Johnson 3, Graham 3, Gray 2, Smith, Stauber, Ong
Halftime Score: West Valley 40, Modesto 39
Updated Records: Modesto 7-7, West Valley 5-9
Modesto went on a 10-1 run to lead 57-52 and led the rest of the way, though it was still 78-75 with under 2 mins left.
Modesto shot 61% from the floor in the 2nd half.
Gonzales (MJC) was named to the All-Tournament team.
