#4 Saddleback had four players score in double figures, and PG Perry Webster flirted with a triople-double as the Gauchos (9-2) edged #11 Mt. San Jacinto (9-5), 68-61, in the first game of a magnificent final day of the 40th Annual Riverside Holiday Tournament December 12th.
On a slate featuring 8 teams ranked #12 or higher, Saddleback finished the game on an 18-10 spurt after Mt. San Jacinto briefly took the lead midway through the second half in a very evenly-played game.
Saddleback started the game with a 5-0 spurt and had a 24-12 lead in the first half after a 3-pointer by SG Taylor Cunningham. Mt. San Jacinto rallied, tying the game at 30 on a 3-pointer by SF Jeffrey West and taking a 32-30 lead on a pair of free throws by Ctr D.J. Wright. Saddleback back went back in front on a 3-pointer by PG Devonier Braswell and led, 33-32, at the half.
That same theme repeated in the second half as Saddleback built a 43-36 lead only to see Mt. San Jacinto rally and tie the score at 48 on a pair of free throws by SF Jamall Clark and take a 51-50 lead on a 3-pointer by SG Eric Lawton with 6:20 left in the game.
But Saddleback answered with hook shot from Ctr Robert Curtis and a pair of free throws from Webster to take a 54-51 lead. A putback basket by Ctr Wendell Faines made it 58-53, and a free throw by Webster made it 59-53 with 3:07 left.
Mt. San Jacinto got within a point after a 3-pointer by West and a pair of free throws by Clark that made it 59-58 with 2:09 left. And the Eagles nearly got the ball back 34 seconds later when the Gauchos prepared to inbound the ball with 1 second on the shot clock.
On that inbounds play, however, Webster found Curtis under the basket, and Curtis managed to get the ball away and into the basket before the buzzer sounded. Then, after a missed shot by the Eagles, SF Tyler McManaman hit a 3-pointer to make it 64-58. SG Kyle Wallace and PF Nathan Gibbs each made a pair of free throws in the final 32 seconds to clinch the win for the Gauchos.
Wallace led all scorers with 15 pts, including 3 threes. McManaman had 11 pts. Curtis and Faines each had double-doubles; Curtis had 10 pts and 12 rebs while Faines had 10 pts and 10 boards. Webster had 8 pts, 8 rebs and a game-high 12 asts.
For Mt. San Jacinto, Lawton led the way with 13 pts and 4 asts. Wright had 10 pts, 5 rebs and 3 asts, while Clark came off the bench for 10 pts.
box score
40th Annual Riverside Holiday Tournament
Saturday, December 12, 2009 @ Wheelock Gym, Riverside
Consolation Championship - 1 pm
Saddleback Gauchos 68:
12-Kyle Wallace, SG - 5/9 fg, 2/2 ft, 3 reb, 1 stl, 2 pf, 15 pts
20-Perry Webster, PG - 1/7 fg, 6/10 ft, 8 reb, 12 ast, 3 stl, 2 pf, 8 pts
23-Nathan Gibbs, PF - 0/2 fg, 7/8 ft, 3 reb, 1 ast, 2 pf, 7 pts
31-Tyler McManaman, SF - 4/6 fg, 2/2 ft, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 11 pts
35-Wendell Faines, C - 5/6 fg, 0/1 ft, 10 reb, 2 blk, 4 pf, 10 pts
30-Terrell Mack, F - 0/3 fg, 2 reb, 1 blk, 2 pf, 0 pts
34-Robert Curtis, C - 4/8 fg, 2/4 ft, 12 reb, 4 pf, 10 pts
33-Sarunas Jackson, F - 0/3 fg, 1 blk, 0 pts
25-Johnel Gray, G - 1/3 ft, 1 pt
11-Taylor Cunningham, G - 1/2 fg, 1 ast, 3 pts
32-Devonier Braswell, G - 1/2 fg, 1 reb, 1 pf, 3 pts
10-DeAndre Myles, G - 0/1 fg, 0 pts
team rebounds: 2
Totals: 21/49 fg (.429), 20/30 ft (.667), 44 reb, 16 ast, 4 blk, 5 stl, 19 pf, 68 pts
3-pt fg (6): Wallace 3, McManaman, Cunningham, Braswell
Turnovers (14): Wallace 3, Curtis 3, Webster 2, Mack 2, McManaman, Faines, Myles, team
Mt. San Jacinto Eagles 61:
2-Dakota Downs, PF - 3/6 fg, 2 reb, 2 pf, 6 pts
5-Eric Lawton, SG - 5/11 fg, 1/2 ft, 4 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 13 pts
10-DeAndrea Williams, PG - 1/5 fg, 2 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 5 pf, 2 pts
15-Shenon Johannes, SF - 1/3 fg, 3/3 ft, 3 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 5 pts
44-D.J. Wright, C - 3/8 fg, 3/5 ft, 5 reb, 3 ast, 3 pf, 10 pts
1-Darren May, G - 1/2 fg, 0/1 ft, 2 pts
34-Jeffrey West, F - 3/7 fg, 2 reb, 1 blk, 3 pf, 8 pts
20-Darnell Ferguson, F - 0/1 fg, 1 ast, 3 pf, 0 pts
3-Jamall Clark, F - 3/9 fg, 4/8 ft, 4 reb, 2 pf, 10 pts
22-Dominic Tiger-Cortes, G - 2/3 fg, 3 reb, 5 pts
33-Greg Dixon, C - 0/1 ft, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 pf, 0 pts
team rebounds: 3
Totals: 22/55 fg (.400), 11/20 ft (.550), 26 reb, 16 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl, 23 pf, 61 pts
3-pt fg (6): Lawton 2, West 2, Wright, Tiger-Cortes
Technical Foul: West
Fouled Out: Williams 32 seconds left
Turnovers (10): Johannes 3, Williams 2, Wright 2, Ferguson 2, Lawton
Halftime Score: Saddleback 33, Mt. San Jacinto 32
Updated Records: Saddleback (#4-South, #8-Calif) 9-2, Mt. San Jacinto (#11-South) 9-5
McManaman (Saddleback) made the all-tournament team
