Jonathan Cortez scored 24 pts and Manny Garcia scored 18, earning tournament MVP honors, as Rio Hondo snapped Victor Valley's 5-game win streak with an 81-65 victory in the championship game of the Vaquero Classic Saturday evening in Glendale.
Rio Hondo (10-5) led virtually the whole way against its Foothill Conference rival, going on an 11-0 run to take a lead in the game's opening minutes and starting the second half with a 12-0 run to take control of the game. The Roadrunner lead reached as many as 30 points midway through the second half.
And it was Garcia who scored to give Rio Hondo that 66-36 advantage, and brought a roar from the crowd in the process. The Roadrunner point guard, generously listed as being 5-11, dunked to push Rio's lead to 30 points with 8:45 left in the game.
Rio Hondo broke an early 6-6 tie with the 11-0 run, and led the rest of the way. But Victor Valley (11-7) rallied later in the first half to get within a point after a corner 3-pointer by Kimani Lane that made it 24-23.
Rio Hondo pushed its lead back to double digits when Mychal Deas scored on a driving lay-up to make it 34-24, and Kyle Maloof scored off a pass from Deas to push the lead to a dozen at 36-24 with just over three minutes left before halftime. Rio held a 40-30 lead at the break.
When the second half started, Wesley Burke hit a three for the Roadrunners on their first possession, and Cortez scored off a nifty pass from Garcia to make it 45-30.
VVC coach Bobby Godinez tried to shake things up with a 5-for-5 line change, but it made no difference. Garcia and Deas scored after rebounds to make it 49-30, and Cortez scored after a rebound to make it 51-30 with 16:35 left to play. Steve Evans finally broke Victor Valley's scoring drought with a putback basket with 12:56 left, but by then Rio Hondo was in control.
Cortez led the winners with his 24 pts, and he added a game-high 12 rebs plus 4 asts, 2 steals and a blocked shot. Garcia had 18 pts, 3 asts and 2 steals, and Deas had a double-double with 14 pts and 11 rebs. Burke had 11 pts, including the Roadrunners' only two 3-pointers, plus 5 rebs and 2 steals.
For Victor Valley, James Tonic led all scorers with 27 pts, earning a spot on the all-tournament team. That included 5 three-pointers and he added 5 rebs, 2 asts, 2 steals and a blocked shot. Evans had 11 pts, 5 rebs, 2 asts and a steal, and Lane had 10 pts, 2 asts and 2 steals.
box score
Saturday, December 20, 2014 - 5 pm
at Vergudo Gym, Glendale
Vaquero Classic - Championship Game
Victor Valley Rams 65:
4-James Tonic, SG - 9/20 fg, 4/4 ft, 5 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl, 27 pts
10-Steve Evans, PG - 4/12 fg, 2/3 ft, 5 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 11 pts
11-A.J. Mathis, PF - 3/4 fg, 3 reb, 1 ast, 1 pf, 6 pts
13-Adream Hayes, C - 0/1 fg, 4 reb, 2 blk, 2 pf, 0 pts
22-Kimani Lane, SF - 4/12 fg, 1/2 ft, 1 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 10 pts
24-Deshawn Hayes, F - 1/2 fg, 2/2 ft, 4 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl, 1 pf, 4 pts
3-Lance Page, G - 1/2 fg, 2/3 ft, 1 reb, 2 pf, 4 pts
15-Trevonne Gates, F - 0/3 fg, 1/2 ft, 3 reb, 1 blk, 1 pf, 1 pt
0-Justin Knowles, G - 0/4 fg, 5 ast, 2 pf, 0 pts
44-Tre Prudhomme, C - 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 1 pf, 0 pts
2-Jay Knowles, C - 1/1 fg, 1 reb, 2 pf, 2 pts
team rebounds: 1
Totals: 23/62 fg (.371), 12/16 ft (.750), 32 reb, 12 ast, 5 blk, 6 stl, 14 pf, 65 pts
3-pt fg (7): Tonic 5, Evans, Lane
Technical Foul: D.Hayes
Turnovers (16): Evans 5, Tonic 3, Lane 3, Mathis, D.Hayes, Page, Gates, Ju.Knowles
Rio Hondo Roadrunners 81:
14-Wesley Burke, SF - 4/9 fg, 1/2 ft, 5 reb, 2 stl, 2 pf, 11 pts
22-Manny Garcia, PG - 8/14 fg, 2/3 ft, 2 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 3 pf, 18 pts
23-Mychal Deas, SG - 7/10 fg, 11 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 14 pts
41-Jordan Zavala, PF - 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 1 pf, 0 pts
50-Jonathan Cortez, C - 9/14 fg, 6/8 ft, 12 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl, 2 pf, 24 pts
2-Anthony Farmer, G - 0/3 fg, 1 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 0 pts
11-Kyle Maloof, F - 4/8 fg, 3 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 1 pf, 8 pts
24-Alex Baron, C - 2/4 fg, 3 reb, 4 pts
32-Dominic Ruiz, G - 2 reb, 2 ast, 1 pf, 0 pts
33-Jaden Radcliffe, G - 0/1 fg, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 0 pts
5-Marcquise Anderson, G - 0/2 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 reb, 1 pf, 2 pts
4-Noah Lloyd, F - 0/5 fg, 4 reb, 0 pts
55-Charles Tabazon, C - 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 1 pf, 0 pts
team rebounds: 5
Totals: 34/72 fg (.472), 11/15 ft (.733), 50 reb, 18 ast, 1 blk, 12 stl, 17 pf, 81 pts
3-pt fg (2): Burke 2
Turnovers (17): Farmer 3, Maloof 3, Burke 2, Deas 2, Lloyd 2, Garcia, Zavala, Cortez, Ruiz, Anderson
Halftime Score: Rio Hondo 40, Victor Valley 30
Updated Records: Rio Hondo 10-5, Victor Valley 11-7
Rio Hondo went on an 11-0 run to lead 17-6 and started the 2nd half with a 12-0 run to take control.
Garcia (Rio Hondo) was named tourney MVP and Tonic (VVC) was named to the all-tournament team.
