Rodrigo Puliceno had 14 pts and 14 rebs, and perhaps more importantly a key steal with 5.3 seconds left to allow Canada to hold on for a 77-73 victory over DeAnza Tuesday night in Redwood City.
Canada (7-5) led most of the last 13-plus minutes, opening what seemed to be a commanding 15-point lead midway through the second half. But in the closing minute that lead shrunk to just two points, and DeAnza (3-10) got the ball on a turnover with 28.3 seconds left, giving the Dons a chance to tie or even go for the lead in the final seconds.
After a timeout, the Dons got the ball to Cooper Wilson in the right corner. But before he could attempt a shot or pass, Puliceno stole the ball away. Wilson fouled him immediately, but Puliceno made the resulting two free throws to stretch the lead back to 4 points with 5.3 seconds to go, finally clinching the win for the Colts.
All of that drama seemed unlikely when Canada used a 21-2 run to erase a 4-point DeAnza lead and give Canada a 60-45 advantage with 10:33 to go. Brian Garrett sparked the run, giving the Colts a 47-45 lead with a three and scoring all 11 of his points during the run. His traditional 3-point play with 10:33 left gave Canada the largest lead of the game for either team at 60-45.
But DeAnza battled back, answering with a 12-2 spurt to get right back in the game, with Karl Mann scoring on a fast break with just over 8 minutes left to make it 62-57. The Canada lead remained at least five points until Charlie Thompson scored on a driving lay-up with 2:43 left to make it 70-67.
Puliceno hit a key three to push Canada's lead back to six at 75-69 with 1:47 left. But Thompson made two free throws for DeAnza with 1:25 left and Ifeanyi Ekechukwu scored on a driving lay-up with 49 seconds left to make it 75-73. DeAnza got the ball back when Garrett stepped on the sideline for a turnover with 28.3 seconds left, but Puliceno's steal stopped the DeAnza comeback.
All that followed a first half in which neither team led by more than six points. DeAnza led, 3-1, early on before Canada took a 14-8 lead after a steal & lay-up by James Testa. DeAnza scored the game's next six points to tie the score midway through the half. DeAnza re-took the lead after Thompson scored on a driving lay-up with 1:06 left in the half to make it 33-28. But Canada got a three from Paul Smoot with about 30 seconds to go in the half and a putback basket by Chris Bene in the final seconds to tie the score 33-33 at the break.
Testa led the Colts with 17 pts, 10 of those in the first half, including 3 threes, and he also had 2 rebs, an assist and 4 steals. Puliceno had 14 pts, a game-high 14 rebs, 3 asts, 2 steals and a blocked shot. Garrett and Smoot chipped in with 11 pts each. John Mayuga had 6 pts and a team-high 5 asts, but fouled out with 1:25 left.
For DeAnza, Thompson led all scorers with 29 pts, which came on 9-for-15 from the floor and 9-for-10 from the line and included a pair of three-pointers. He also had 6 rebs, 4 asts and 4 steals. Mann came off the bench for a very solid game with 11 pts, a team-high 7 rebs, a block and a steal. Ekechukwu had 8 pts, 6 rebs and a game-high 7 asts.
box score
Tuesday, December 22, 2015 - 7 pm
at Canada College, Redwood City
Coast Conference - Crossover Game
DeAnza Dons 73:
3-Charlie Thompson, SG - 9/15 fg, 9/10 ft, 6 reb, 4 ast, 4 stl, 3 pf, 29 pts
4-Ifeanyi Ekechukwu, PG - 3/6 fg, 2/2 ft, 6 reb, 7 ast, 2 pf, 8 pts
23-Tory Stamps, C - 2/5 fg, 2/3 ft, 1 reb, 1 stl, 2 pf, 7 pts
32-Jimmy Escudero, PF - 0/6 fg, 1/2 ft, 3 reb, 2 pf, 1 pt
34-Steven Gaverick, SF - 2/5 fg, 2 reb, 3 pf, 4 pts
33-Cooper Wilson, F - 1/4 fg, 2/3 ft, 5 reb, 1 blk, 2 pf, 4 pts
5-Jeremy Ishimaru, G - 1/2 fg, 1 reb, 1 pf, 3 pts
24-Daniel Paulson, G - 0/3 fg, 1 reb, 1 stl, 0 pts
30-Karl Mann, C - 5/9 fg, 1/2 ft, 7 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl, 3 pf, 11 pts
2-R.J. McCune, F - 2/5 fg, 2/2 ft, 2 reb, 2 stl, 6 pts
team rebounds: 6
Totals: 25/60 fg (.417), 19/24 ft (.792), 40 reb, 11 ast, 2 blk, 9 stl, 18 pf, 73 pts
3-pt fg (4): Thompson 2, Stamps, Ishimaru
Turnovers (16): Ekechukwu 5, Gaverick 2, Paulson 2, Thompson, Stamps, Escudero, Wilson, Ishimaru, Mann, McCune
Canada Colts 77:
1-John Mayuga, PG - 2/8 fg, 2 reb, 5 ast, 5 pf, 6 pts
5-Andre Robinson, SF - 2/7 fg, 0/1 ft, 6 reb, 2 ast, 1 pf, 4 pts
20-Paul Smoot, SG - 3/8 fg, 3/6 ft, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 4 pf, 11 pts
33-Joe Pitocchi, PF - 1/3 fg, 1/1 ft, 4 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 pf, 3 pts
34-Rodrigo Puliceno, C - 3/8 fg, 6/7 ft, 14 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl, 3 pf, 14 pts
44-Case DuFrane, F - 4/9 fg, 1/2 ft, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 9 pts
22-James Testa, F - 6/9 fg, 2/3 ft, 2 reb, 1 ast, 4 stl, 17 pts
2-Brian Garrett, G - 4/9 fg, 1/1 ft, 1 reb, 3 pf, 11 pts
3-Folau Etu, C - 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 1 pf, 0 pts
11-Chris Bene, F - 1/4 fg, 6 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 2 pts
team rebounds: 3
Totals: 26/66 fg (.394), 14/21 ft (.667), 42 reb, 16 ast, 3 blk, 8 stl, 22 pf, 77 pts
3-pt fg (11): Testa 3, Mayuga 2, Smoot 2, Puliceno 2, Garrett 2
Technical Foul: Smoot
Fouled Out: Mayuga 1:25 left
Turnovers (17): Testa 4, Robinson 3, Garrett 3, Maguya 2, Puliceno 2, Smoot, DuFrane, Bene
Halftime Score: Tied at 33
Updated Records: Canada 7-5, DeAnza 3-10
Canada led 60-56 with 10:33 left after a 21-2 run during which Garrett scored 11 pts.
DeAnza got within 2 at 77-75 and got the ball back with 28.3 seconds left.
Puliceno stole the ball! And after he was fouled he made 2 FTs with 5.3 secs left to clinch the win for Canada.
