PF Jaylin Airington scored 25 pts and grabbed 10 rebs to earn MVP honors in the 61st Annual Gregg Anderson Memorial Tournament, leading Ventura to a 78-72 win over LA Pierce in the championship game to run the Pirates' record to 9-0 on the season.
Ventura (9-0) led the entire second half and virtually the entire game, but Pierce (8-2) stayed close throughout and trailed by just five points with 23.5 seconds left until Airington and Ctr Anthony Morman made enough free throws to finally secure the win.
Ventura jumped out to a 14-4 lead in the first 4-plus minutes of the game. But Pierce recovered well enough to cut the deficit to a single points at 23-22 midway through the first half.
But Ventura never quite surrendered the lead. The Pirates pushed their lead to as many as 11 points at 38-27 after SF Ivan Dooley madse 3 free throws with 5:27 left in the half. Pierce cut the deficit to five points at 43-38, but Ventura pushed it back to eight points at halftime after Airington hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds of the first half.
Pierce got within two points at 48-46 after a steal & lay-up by PG J.R. Williams early in the second half. But Pierce was never quite able to catch up. The Brahmas also trailed by two points at 51-49 and 53-51, and by three at 60-57 midway through the second half.
PG Zalmico Harmon teamed with SG Eric Mitchell for two back-door lay-ups to make it 64-57, and Harmom split two free throws with 5:14 left to make it 65-57, seemingly putting Ventura back in control.
Pierce battled back, however, with a 3-pointer from Williams that made it 65-60. Pierce stayed close and trailed by just six points at 71-65 after a pair of free throws by SF Donte Williams with 2:38 to play.
Ventura pushed the lead to nine points at 74-65 after Harmon split two free throws with 1:31 left following a steal and Airington scored on a floater with just over a minute left.
But Pierce battled back one last time with two free throws by Donte Williams with 41.3 seconds left. Mitchell made one of two free throws for Ventura with 31.3 seconds to go, but Pierce got a 3-pointer from SG Terrel Funches with 23.5 seconds left to make it 75-70 and keep a comeback a possibility.
The Brahmas fouled Morman with 18.7 seconds left, and he made the first free throw to make it 76-70. But he was called for a line violation on his second try. Pierce's Evans tried a 3-pointer that missed, and Airington grabbed the rebound. He was fouled and made two free throws with 10.4 seconds left to finally clinch the win for the Pirates.
Airington made 10 of 17 shots, including threes, for his game-high 25 pts, while adding a team-high 10 rebs, 3 asts, a block and a steal. Dooley had 21 pts, 6 rebs and 2 asts and Harmon had 16 pts and 8 asts. They, as well as Mitchell, were named to the all-tournament team.
For Pierce, PF Codye Hatcher had a team-high 22 pts and a game-high 15 rebs plus 2 blocks and 2 steals. Evans had 15 pts and J.R. Williams had 12 pts and a game-high 11 asts. That trio was named to the all-tournament team. Donte Williams added 13 pts for the Brahmas.
The win gives Ventura its first Antelope Valley College tournament title since 1960. However, it is also the first time the Pirates have played in this event in many years; a quick search of past all-tournament teams shows no evidence of Ventura since 1984. It was also the first time in nearly that long that the host Marauders had the final day off; it is believed that this was the first time since 1987 that Antelope Valley has gone two-and-out in its own tournament.
box score
61st Annual Gregg Anderson Memorial Tournament
Sunday, December 2, 2012 @ Marauder Gym, Lancaster
Championship Game - 5 pm
Ventura Pirates 78:
1-Joseph Soto, SG - 0/2 fg, 1 ast, 3 stl, 0 pts
3-Zalmico Harmon, PG - 4/15 fg, 7/10 ft, 4 reb, 8 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 16 pts
4-Ivan Dooley, SF - 5/10 fg, 8/8 ft, 6 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 5 pf, 21 pts
11-Jaylin Airington, PF - 10/17 fg, 2/2 ft, 10 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 4 pf, 25 pts
44-Anthony Morman, C - 3/3 fg, 1/1 ft, 8 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl, 1 pf, 7 pts
2-Eric Mitchell, G - 3/8 fg, 1/2 ft, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 7 pts
23-Najee Salaam, F - 1/4 fg, 3 reb, 2 blk, 2 pf, 2 pts
14-Dre Bennett, G - 0 pts
team rebounds: 3
Totals: 26/59 fg (.441), 19/23 ft (.826), 37 reb, 19 ast, 5 blk, 8 stl, 14 pf, 78 pts
3-pt fg (7): Dooley 3, Airington 3, Harmon
Fouled Out: Dooley 2:38 left
Turnovers (13): Harmon 4, Airington 2, Morman 2, Soto, Dooley, Mitchell, Salaam, team
LA Pierce Brahmas 72:
1-J.R. Williams, PG - 4/13 fg, 3/6 ft, 1 reb, 11 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 12 pts
3-Donte Williams, SF - 4/9 fg, 5/5 ft, 2 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl, 4 pf, 13 pts
13-Victor Evans, SG - 6/11 fg, 1/2 ft, 2 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk, 1 stl, 2 pf, 15 pts
21-Micheal Claus, C - 2/2 fg, 2 reb, 1 ast, 2 pf, 4 pts
23-Codye Hatcher, PF - 10/19 fg, 2/4 ft, 15 reb, 2 blk, 2 stl, 3 pf, 22 pts
32-Andre Smith, C - 0/3 fg, 5 reb, 1 pf, 0 pts
15-Bobby Johnson, C - 1/1 fg, 1/2 ft, 5 reb, 1 stl, 2 pf, 3 pts
22-Chris McCarthy, G - 0/2 fg, 2 pf, 0 pts
25-Terrel Funches, G - 1/1 fg, 1 pf, 3 pts
team rebounds: 6
Totals: 28/61 fg (.459), 12/19 ft (.632), 38 reb, 18 ast, 5 blk, 7 stl, 20 pf, 72 pts
3-pt fg (4): Evans 2, J.Williams, Funches
Turnovers (13): Johnson 4, Evans 3, Hatcher 3, D.Williams 2, J.Williams
Halftime Score: Ventura 46, LA Pierce 38
Updated Records: Ventura (#1-South, #2-Calif) 9-0, LA Pierce (#3-South, #6-Calif) 8-2
J.Williams, Evans & Hatcher (Pierce) and Harmon, Dooley & Mitchell (Ventura) were named to the all-tournament team and Airington (VC) was named tournament MVP.
