PG Sama Taku had 20 pts, 9 rebs and 7 asts, and most importantly made two free throws with 5.8 seconds left to lift Santa Rosa to a 78-76 win over Mt. San Antonio in the Third Place game of the 2011 Gaucho Tournament at Saddleback College.
Mt. SAC had drawn even just five seconds earlier when PF Darnell Martin when Taku drove towards the basket. He appeared to lose control of the ball just as he made contact with the defender, but the officials immediately ruled a blocking foul, and Taku took advantage by making the two free throws.
The game was far from over at that point, however. The Mounties got the ball to SG Corey Allen, who tried a short shot from the right baseline. But Santa Rosa PF Myles Jerrett swatted the ball away. The rebound went to Martin in the lane, but time ran out before he could attempt a putback try, allowing Santa Rosa to hold on for the win.
All that overshadowed an amazing second-half shooting performance by Santa Rosa (9-3), which trailed by 9 points at halftime and by 14 in the first minute of the second half. The Bear Cubs made their first six shots of the half, and when SF Kevin Aronis finally missed a shot, he grabbed the rebound and scored on the putback. In all, Santa Rosa made 11 of its first 12 shots of the half to take a 55-50 lead, and finished 16-for-26 from the field (62%) for the second half.
Mt. San Antonio (8-4) battled back, getting within a point at 68-67 on a pair of Martin free throws with 2:58 left and tying the game at 71 on a basket by Martin on a pass from PG Ervin Ware after SG Garret Nevels deflected a dribble away from a Bear Cub for a steal.
Santa Rosa got a 3-pointer from SF Luke Aston and a basket from Taku after a stael by SG Max Fujii to take a 76-71 lead. But Ware had a single free throw and a 3-point play to get Mt. SAC back within a point, and Martin missed the first but made the second of a pair of free throws with 10.8 seconds left to tie the score at 76, setting up the final sequence.
All that happened after a first half in which Mt. San Antonio (8-4) seemed to take control of the game, building a 37-28 halftime lead and holding Santa Rosa to 38% shooting. and Mt. SAC started the second half with a 3-pointer by Allen, a steal by SF Lavell McDade and a basket by Martin that made it 42-28 less than a minute into the half.
But good shooting cures many ills, and the Bear Cubs quickly got back into the game once the shots started falling despite the absence of their top post player, 6-7 Ctr Henry Gill, who missed the tournament with an ankle injury.
Taku led all scorers with 20 pts and also added a game-high 9 rebs and a team-high 7 asts, though he also had 9 turnovers. He was selected to the all-tournament team. Aronis had 15 pts, and Fujii had 14 pts, 5 asts and 2 steals. PF Connor Gillett came off the bench for 10 pts.
For Mt. SAC, Martin had 16 pts, 6 rebs and 4 asts, and Allen had 15 pts and a game-high 9 asts. McDade had 10 pts and Nevels came off the bench for 10 pts and 4 steals.
box score
2011 Gaucho Tournament
Saturday, December 10th @ Saddleback College, Mission Viejo
Third Place Game - 2 pm
Mt. San Antonio Mounties 76:
12-Corey Allen, SG - 6/16 fg, 6 reb, 9 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 15 pts
20-Lavell McDade, SF - 4/6 fg, 5 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 1 pf, 10 pts
22-Ervin Ware, PG - 2/5 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 reb, 4 ast, 2 pf, 6 pts
23-Darnell Martin, PF - 6/12 fg, 4/6 ft, 6 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 4 pf, 16 pts
33-Chaz Thomas, C - 2/8 fg, 4 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 4 pts
3-Ashton Robinson, G - 3/6 fg, 1 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 4 pf, 7 pts
50-Steven Watkins, C - 1/2 fg, 3 reb, 2 pf, 2 pts
11-Jeffery Nibo, F - 0 pts
25-Garret Nevels, G - 4/12 fg, 2/3 ft, 2 reb, 1 ast, 4 stl, 1 pf, 10 pts
24-Taj Spencer, F - 1/1 fg, 4/4 ft, 3 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 4 pf, 6 pts
42-Andrew Ortiz, G - 1 reb, 0 pts
team rebounds: 6
Totals: 29/68 fg (.426), 12/15 ft (.800), 38 reb, 23 ast, 1 blk, 12 stl, 20 pf, 76 pts
3-pt fg (6): Allen 3, McDade 2, Robinson
Turnovers (18): Martin 4, McDade 3, Allen 2, Robinson 2, Nevels 2, Spencer 2, Ware, Thomas, team
Santa Rosa Bear Cubs 78:
10-Max Fujii, SG - 4/8 fg, 4/4 ft, 4 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 14 pts
15-Kevin Aronis, SF - 5/12 fg, 2/3 ft, 3 reb, 1 stl, 15 pts
23-Sama Taku, PG - 7/11 fg, 6/6 ft, 9 reb, 7 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 20 pts
34-Myles Jerrett, PF - 0/2 fg, 1/2 ft, 5 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk, 1 stl, 1 pt
43-Jordan Salley, C - 4/5 fg, 1/2 ft, 3 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 4 pf, 9 pts
32-Connor Gillett, F - 2/4 fg, 5/7 ft, 3 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 1 pf, 10 pts
11-Bobby Sharp, G- 0/5 fg, 0/1 ft, 1 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 0 pts
31-Luke Aston, F - 3/3 fg, 2 reb, 4 pf, 9 pts
team rebounds: 1
Totals: 25/50 fg (.500), 19/25 ft (.760), 31 reb, 19 ast, 5 blk, 7 stl, 14 pf, 78 pts
3-pt fg (9): Aronis 3, Alston 3, Fujii 2, Gillett
Turnovers (20): Taku 9, Gillett 3, Alston 3, Fujii 2, Jerrett, Salley, team
Halftime Score: Mt. San Antonio 37, Santa Rosa 28
Updated Records: Santa Rosa (#2-North, #3-Calif) 9-3, Mt. San Antonio (#15-South) 8-4
Santa Rosa made its 1st 6 shots and 11 of its 1st 12 shots of the 2nd half and took a 55-50 lead.
Mt. SAC tied it at 71 and again at 76 on a free throw by Martin after a steal with 10.8 seconds left.
Taku made 2 FTs with 5.8 seconds left to give Santa Rosa a 78-76 lead.
Jerrett blocked an Allen shot in the final seconds to preserve the win for Santa Rosa.
Santa Rosa played without Ctr Henry Gill (ankle injury)
Taku (Santa Rosa) was named to the all-tournament team.
