PG Steven Bennett came off the bench to score 18 pts as #1 Citrus (11-1) used its depth to wear down a stubborn #5 San Bernardino Valley (8-3) squad and take an 80-74 victory from what was undoubtedly the toughest first-round match-up in the RCC Holiday tournament.
This one was an intense, hotly-contest event from the start. The teams combined for 49 turnovers and 47 fouls. But Citrus' deep rotation - the Owls used 13 players, 10 for more than a few minutes - combined with some foul trouble for SBVC proved to be the difference.
Neither team led by more than 4 points in the first half, which ended with SBVC holding a 37-35 lead.
The Wolverines began the second half well, pushing out to a 10-point lead at 46-36. However, by then, foul trouble was looming, with starters SF D'Shaun Holden and PF Aaron Edwards both on the bench with 4 fouls apiece. Then SBVC committed its 6th and 7th fouls of the half, putting Citrus into the bonus with 16:31 left to play.
Baskets by PG Warren Fuselier and PF Maurice McGee stretched SBVC's lead to 52-41, but then Citrus went on a 30-9 extended run over the next twelve-plus minutes to take a 71-61 lead after a lay-up by Bennett with 3:37 left. The 5-7 Bennett had scored from under the basket to give the Owls a 57-56 lead with 8:43 left.
Still, SBVC hung tough, despite the foul trouble that included Holden fouling out with 6:30 to play. The Wolverines got within 3 at 71-68 on a driving lay-up by Fuselier with 2:36 left and still trailed by just 3 at 73-70 after Citrus PG Kelly Johnson and Edwards traded baskets.
Then came a clutch 3-pointer by SG Jose Rivera that gave Citrus a 76-70 lead. And a jumper by Bennett from just inside the free throw line made it 78-70. Still, SBVC got a basket from Ctr Orlando Brazier and trailed by just 6 with 40.4 seconds left.
That's when PG Nate Roth was called for an intentional foul for grabbing Bennett's jersey in an attempt to prolong the game. And coach Quincy Brewer was whistled for a technical foul for protesting the initial call. Bennett and SG Justin Johnson each made one of two free throws for Citrus to make it 80-72, basically clinching the win for the Owls.
Bennett, one of the most exciting players in the state, led the Owls with his 18 pts plus 3 asts and 2 steals. Rivera and SF Curtis Eatmon each had 11 pts. K. Johnson added 9 pts, 4 asts and 2 steals, and PF Troy Payne had 6 pts plus 3 asts and a game-high 14 rebs.
For SBVC, Brazier led the way with 19 pts and 8 rebs. Fuselier had 15 pts and 5 asts.
box score
Wednesday, December 10, 2008 - 7 pm
at Wheelock Gym, Riverside
RCC Holiday Tourney - First Round
Citrus Owls 80:
10-Kelly Johnson, PG - 3/8 fg, 3/3 ft, 3 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 9 pts
14-Curtis Eatmon, SF - 5/9 fg, 1/1 ft, 5 reb, 2 ast, 1 tl, 3 pf, 11 pts
20-Justin Johnson, SG - 2/7 fg, 3/4 ft, 7 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 7 pts
23-Troy Payne, PF - 3/11 fg, 14 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 1 pf, 6 pts
30-Nathan Gibbs, C - 1/2 fg, 3/5 ft, 4 reb, 1 stl, 4 pf, 5 pts
15-Mark Dorsey, C - 1/2 fg, 2/2 ft, 2 reb, 2 blk, 3 pf, 4 pts
25-Darin Stewart, F - 2 reb, 0 pts
3-Jose Rivera, G - 4/9 fg, 1 blk, 3 pf, 11 pts
5-Steven Bennett, G - 4/7 fg, 10/12 ft, 3 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 18 pts
40-Keith Thompson, F - 3/8 fg, 3 reb, 1 stl, 1 pf, 6 pts
34-Terrance Reaves, G - 0/2 fg, 1 reb, 0 pts
44-Kyle Gordien, C - 0 pts
32-Zareh Zargaryan, F - 1/1 fg, 2 reb, 2 pf, 3 pts
team rebounds: 6
Totals: 27/66 fg (.409), 22/27 ft (.822), 48 reb, 16 ast, 3 blk, 10 stl, 23 pf, 80 pts
3-pt fg (4): Rivera 3, Zargaryan
Turnovers (26): J.Johnson 5, Rivera 4, Bennett 4, Eatmon 3, Payne 3, Thompson 3, K.Johnson 2, Gibbs, Zargaryan
San Bernardino Valley Wolverines 74:
3-Warren Fuselier, PG - 6/15 fg, 3/5 ft, 2 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl, 3 pf, 15 pts
14-Alex Jacobs, SG - 1/7 fg, 1 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 3 pts
23-D'Shaun Holden, SF - 3/6 fg, 6 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 5 pf, 6 pts
30-Aaron Edwards, PF - 4/8 fg, 0/1 ft, 5 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 4 pf, 9 pts
32-Orlando Brazier, C - 7/12 fg, 5/8 ft, 8 reb, 1 stl, 19 pts
15-Orlando Collins, F - 1/1 fg, 0/2 ft, 3 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl, 2 pf, 2 pts
1-Sidney Hall, G - 1/5 fg, 2/2 ft, 3 reb, 1 ast, 2 pf, 4 pts
5-Nate Roth, G - 3/8 fg, 4 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 6 pts
31-Brandon Walter, F - 2/5 fg, 5 pts
45-Curtis Wilkinson, C - 0/2 fg, 1/2 ft, 2 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 1 pt
33-Maurice McGee, F - 2/6 fg, 2 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 2 pf, 4 pts
team rebounds: 9
Totals: 30/75 fg (.400), 11/20 ft (.550), 45 reb, 16 ast, 5 blk, 11 stl, 24 pf, 74 pts
Intentional Foul: Roth
Technical Foul: Coach Brewer
Fouled Out: Holden 6:30 left
Turnovers (23): Roth 5, Fuselier 3, Hall 3, Jacobs 2, Edwards 2, Walter 2, McGee 2, Holden, Brazier, team 2
Halftime Score: San Bernardino Valley 37, Citrus 35
Updated Records: Citrus (#1-South, #2-Calif) 11-1, San Bernardino Valley (#5-South, t-#9-Calif) 8-3
