SG Brad Buchignani came off the bench for a game-high 28 pts, 6 rebs, 6 asts and a key steal for Orange Coast as the Pirates outlasted LA Pierce in a riveting if foul-filled game Sunday at the Neil Edwards Classic at Citrus College in Glendora.
Buchignani, who played at Saugus HS in Santa Clarita (ed. note - you may notice that the twitter account for this author is DRinSCV and yes, the SCV stands for Santa Clarita Valley), sparked a key 9-1 run in the final four minutes with a 3-pointer and clinched the win with a steal followed by a pair of free throws with 6.7 seconds remaining as Orange Coast (2-5) pulled out the close win.
Buchignani also keyed a 12-0 run for the Pirates in the first half, giving his team a 19-18 lead with a basket with about 9 minutes left and adding a pair of three-pointers, sandwiched around a driving lay-up by SF Devaun Evans as OCC took a 29-18 advantage. But Pierce (3-6) rallied from that deficit, tying the score at 39 on a putback by 7-foot Ctr Beau Brown in the final seconds before the halftime buzzer.
Neither team led by more than 5 points in the second half until the final decisive 9-0 run. Before that, things looked shaky at best for Orange Coast when Evans fouled out with 4:52 to play and the game still very much in doubt.
But then came the decisive run, beginning with Buchignani's 3-pointer. Then Buchignani fed Ctr Michael Niezner for a basket that became a 3-point play after a foul, giving Orange Coast an 82-78 win wiht 3:05 left. Just less than a minute later PF Noah Prouse registered a 3-point play to make it 85-78.
Pierce fought back late, getting within four points after a 3-point play by SG Montel Shirley, who scored off a pass from PG Rodney Walters, to make it 91-87 with 31 seconds left. Niezner split two free throws to give Orange Coast a 5-point lead with 17.1 seconds to go. But the outcome of the game was still in doubt until Buchigani's steal and free throws that finally clinched the win for the Pirates.
Buchignani finished 10-for-13 from the floor with 4 three-pointers for his game-high 28 pts, and added 6 rebs, 6 asts and the steal to lead the Pirates. Evans had 25 pts, 8 rebs, 7 asts, 3 steals and a blocked shot despite foul trouble most of the game. Prouse had 12 pts and Niezner had 8 pts and 8 rebs. Evans was named to the all-tournament team for the Pirates.
For Pierce, SF Terrel Funches scored a team-high 20 pts and added a team-high 8 rebs. Walters had 17 pts and 4 asts, and SG Jordan Fuller came off the bench for 16 pts. Brown made all 3 of his shot attempts and finished with 10 pts, 7 rebs and 4 blocked shots.
box score
2013 Neil Edwards Tournament
Sunday, December 1st @ Citrus College - 4 pm
LA Pierce Brahmas 87:
1-Rodney Walters, PG - 7/13 fg, 2/6 ft, 1 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 17 pts
5-Terrel Funches, SF - 6/15 fg, 8/11 ft, 8 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 4 pf, 20 pts
11-Montel Shirley, SG - 5/9 fg, 5/5 ft, 6 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl, 2 pf, 15 pts
21-Troy Martin, PF - 1/2 ft, 1 reb, 3 pf, 1 pt
34-Charles Honest, C - 0/4 fg, 7 reb, 1 blk, 5 pf, 0 pts
3-Byron Maddox, G - 0/6 fg, 1 reb, 7 ast, 2 stl, 4 pf, 0 pts
13-Jordan Fuller, G - 6/10 fg, 2/2 ft, 4 reb, 1 blk, 2 stl, 1 pf, 16 pts
44-Beau Brown, C - 3/3 fg, 4/6 ft, 7 reb, 4 blk, 1 pf, 10 pts
31-Ashton Anderson, F - 0/1 fg, 0 pts
44-Marcus Welsh, F - 2/3 fg, 3/3 ft, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 pf, 8 pts
team rebounds: 4
Totals: 29/64 fg (.453), 25/35 ft (.714), 41 reb, 16 ast, 7 blk, 11 stl, 24 pf, 87 pts
3-pt fg (4): Fuller 2, Walters, Welsh
Technical Foul: Coach Babayan
Fouled Out: Honest 2:06 left
Turnovers (22): Walters 7, Fuller 4, Funches 3, Shirley 3, Honest 2, Maddox 2, Brown
Orange Coast Pirates 94:
13-Spencer Poston, PG - 1/10 fg, 1/2 ft, 4 reb, 8 ast, 2 stl, 3 pf, 3 pts
15-Henry Nguyen, SG - 2/3 fg, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 5 pts
20-Devaun Evans, SF - 10/14 fg, 5/8 ft, 8 reb, 7 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl, 5 pf, 25 pts
33-Noah Prouse, PF - 5/8 fg, 2/5 ft, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 3 pf, 12 pts
40-Eric Stockstill, C - 1/1 fg, 4 reb, 1 stl, 2 pf, 2 pts
4-Jonah Ganz, G - 1/4 fg, 4/4 ft, 2 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 7 pts
32-Michael Niezner, C - 3/10 fg, 2/3 ft, 8 reb, 1 stl, 4 pf, 8 pts
23-Ahmon Metdals, F - 0/1 fg, 0/2 ft, 1 ast, 1 pf, 0 pts
5-Brad Buchignani, G - 10/13 fg, 4/6 ft, 6 reb, 6 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 28 pts
3-Tim Pena, G - 0 pts
31-Aidan Ptasznik, F - 1/3 fg, 2 reb, 2 pf, 2 pts
11-Caleb Richmond, G - 0/1 fg, 0/1 ft, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 0 pts
14-Wakim Wakim, G - 2 reb, 1 ast, 0 pts
21-Lafayette Kittrell, F - 1 stl, 0 pts
34-Lucas Emery, C - 1/2 fg, 1 reb, 1 blk, 2 pf, 2 pt
team rebounds: 1
Totals: 35/70 fg (.500), 18/31 ft (.581), 42 reb, 29 ast, 3 blk, 13 stl, 30 pf, 94 pts
3-pt fg (6): Buchignani 4, Nguyen, Ganz
Fouled Out: Evans 4:52 left
Turnovers (21): Evans 4, Poston 3, Nguyen 3, Ganz 2, Stockstill, Niezner, Metdals, Buchignani, Pena, Richmond, Wakim, Kittrell, Emery
Halftime Score: Tied at 39
Updated Records: Orange Coast 2-5, LA Pierce 3-6
Orange Coast led 29-18 after a 12-0 Buchignani-fueled run, but otherwise it was close all the way.
A Buchignani 3-point FG and 3-pt plays by Niezner & Prouse gave OCC an 85-78 lead with 2:06 left
A steal & 2 FTs by Buchignani with 6.7 secs left clinched it for Orange Coast.
Evans (OCC) was named to the All-Tournament team.
