West LA (9-7) led wire-to-wire, jumping out to a 17-point lead with less than 5 minutes to go before holding off a late rally from LA Harbor (3-11) and posting an 85-81 win in the first round of the 19th Annual Cougar Holiday Classic Saturday afternoon in Santa Clarita.
The newly-renamed Wildcats jumped out to a 4-0 lead to begin the game, led by 7 at halftime and threatened to pull away several times in the second half. Finally, West LA built what seemed to be an insurmountable 17-point lead at 70-53 with 4:50 left.
It turned out to be insurmountable, but just barely. Harbor pulled to within 9 points at 76-67 with 1:17 left and to within 3 points at 84-81 in the final seconds before a free throw by SG Jason Pruitt with 3 seconds left made it a two-possession game at 85-81 and finally clinched the win for West LA.
West led by as many as 9 points several times in the first half, and pushed the lead to 10 twice early in the second half, only to see Harbor stay close and cut the margin back to 5 points each time. But a 3-pointer by SG Eddie Calvo and a long 2-point jumper by PG Elan Williams seemed to put West in command, making it 70-53 with 4:50 remaining.
But Harbor chipped away, getting within 7 at 78-71 after a basket by PF Gerald Johnson in the final minute. After a basket by West, PG John Raquel drained a 3-pointer to make it 80-74 with 37 seconds left. Then Ctr Jonathan Williams scored on a lay-up to make it 80-76 with 21 seconds left.
A pair of free throws by West SF Sean Tyson made it 82-76, but then Harbor got a basket from SF Lemmie Crocker to again make it a 4-point game at 82-78 with 12 seconds left. Then West got a dunk from Tyson to make it 84-78, but Harbors Raquel drained a 3-pointer with 4 seconds left to make it 84-81. But Pruitts free throw made it 85-81 and after that time just ran out on the Seahawks.
For West LA, Pruitt led the way with 17 pts and 7 asts. Tyson came off the bench and had 17 pts and 7 rebs. SF Chris Williams just missed a double-double with 13 pts and 9 rebs. Calvo had a strong performance off the bench with 13 pts, 4 asts and 2 steals.
For Harbor, Raquel had a huge game with 21 pts, 19 in the second half, plus 7 rebs, 3 asts and 3 steals. Williams, the only Harbor starter talled than 6-0, had a double-double with 18 pts, 11 rebs and 4 asts. SF Sotero Rivers came off the bench and had 17 pts, including 5 threes. Johnson chipped in with 13 pts and 6 boards.
Box score
Saturday, December 27, 2008 2 pm
19th Annual Cougar Holiday Classic Santa Clarita
First Round
LA Harbor Seahawks 81:
4-Gerald Johnson, PF 6/11 fg, 1/2 ft, 6 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 13 pts
5-Lemmie Crocker, SF 1/4 fg, 2/4 ft, 2 reb, 6 ast, 2 pf, 4 pts
23-Mike Morgan, PG 1/7 fg, 2 reb, 4 ast, 1 pf, 2 pts
25-Shoi Yakukawa, SG 2/4 fg, 2/2 ft, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 6 pts
30-Jonathan Williams, C 8/21 fg, 1/4 ft, 11 reb, 4 ast, 2 pf, 18 pts
12-John Raquel, G 7/12 fg, 4/5 ft, 7 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl, 4 pf, 21 pts
11-Cedric Hood, F 0/3 fg, 1 pf, 0 pts
21-Takashi Akayama, G 0/1 fg, 1 pf, 0 pts
32-Sotero Rivers, F 6/10 fg, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 17 pts
team rebounds: 5
Totals: 31/73 fg (.425), 10/17 ft (.588), 39 reb, 20 ast, 0 blk, 6 stl, 18 pf, 81 pts
3-pt fg (9): Rivers 5, Raquel 3, Williams
Turnovers (8): Rivers 3, Morgan 2, Crocker, Yakukawa
West LA Wildcats 85:
3-Shakir Johnson, C 2/3 fg, 3/4 ft, 4 reb, 4 blk, 4 pf, 7 pts
4-Chris Williams, SF 6/13 fg, 1/2 ft, 9 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 3 pf, 13 pts
14-Robert Broderick, PF 2/4 fg, 4/4 ft, 7 reb, 3 pf, 8 pts
24-Elan Williams, PG 3/8 fg, 2 reb, 5 ast, 1 pf, 6 pts
32-Jason Pruitt, SG 6/16 fg, 4/5 ft, 5 reb, 7 ast, 1 pf, 17 pts
34-Myron Davis, F 0/3 fg, 1 reb, 1 blk, 0 pts
12-Eddie Calvo, G 4/8 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 13 pts
21-Josh Jordan, F 2/3 fg, 8 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 4 pts
5-Sean Tyson, F 6/11 fg, 2/2 ft, 7 reb, 2 ast, 1 pf, 17 pts
30-Casey Jones, G 0 pts
team rebounds: 3
Totals: 31/69 fg (.449), 16/19 ft (.842), 47 reb, 20 ast, 6 blk, 4 stl, 18 pf, 85 pts
3-pt fg (7): Calvo 3, Tyson 3, Pruitt
Turnovers (15): Pruitt 3, Johnson 2, C.Williams 2, Broderick 2, E.Williams 2, Tyson 2, Calvo, Jordan
Halftime Score: West LA 36, LA Harbor 29
Updated Records: West LA 9-7, LA Harbor 3-11
West led wire to wire and led by 17 at 70-53 with 4:50 left. Harbor rallied to within 3 points in the final seconds before a FT by Pruitt with 3 seconds left clinched the win for West.
