PF Daviyon Draper scored 13 pts, all in the second half, as #6 Antelope Valley stunned #2 Chaffey, 58-55, in the first round of the Cougar Holiday Classic Friday afternoon at College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita.
Just over a month ago, Antelope Valley (12-3) suffered its first loss of the season, a 21-point drubbing, at home at the hands of the CHP ("Chaffey Hustlin' Panthers", as coach Jeff Klein has dubbed his program). And for 15-plus minutes, it look like it might be a repeat of that result as Chaffey (14-3) took a 22-12 lead with 4:30 left in the first half.
But this time, AVC stabilized itself and rallied for a win in a match-up of the two teams in this tournament that are currently ranked in the top 15 of Southern California in what many have dubbed as the de facto championship game of the event.
AVC got within six when PG Ismail Ali made a 3-pointer late in the first half to make it 26-20 at the break. And in the second half, Antelope Valley shot 50% from the floor, with Draper leading the way, and ultimately came away with the win and a small measure of revenge.
Draper had been scoreless in first half with no assists, but set up Ali for a lay-up to start the second half and then scored on a putback, was fouled and added the free throw to make it 26-25 just 2:01 into the half. Then he threw down a dunk off an inbouds pass from SG Lucciano Gamiz to give AVC its first lead of the game, 27-26, with 17:13 to play.
Chaffey made just 1 of its first 9 shots of the second half - with 5 turnovers mixed in - as Antelope Valley extended its lead to 38-33 on a putback basket by Ctr Tajee Shaw with just over 11 minutes left.
But then the CHP rallied, tying the game on a 3-pointer by PF Jeff Nibo with 4:50 left that made it 47-47. Two free throws by SG Tim Johnson with 3:39 left gave AVC a 49-47 lead.
And though the game remained close, AVC never lost that lead. Chaffey got within a point at 51-50 when Ctr Adom Jacko scored on a putback with 2:20 left. But Jacko fouled out 31 seconds later. Shaw made a free throw to make it 52-50 with 1:49 left.
AVC was still clinging to a 2-point lead when Draper made the most important shot of the game, a short jumper with about 30 seconds left to make it 56-52. After SG Devyn Sampson of Chaffey missed a 3-pointer, Draper got the rebound, was fouled and made 2 free throws with 21 seconds left to make it 58-52.
Chaffey got a free throw from PG Julian Nichols with 17 seconds left and, after AVC's Gamiz shockingly missed two free throws with 12 seconds to go, the CHP got a putback basket from Ctr Pape Seck to make it 58-55 with 4 seconds left. But AVC inbounded the ball to Ali, who immediately forwarded it to Gamiz in the frontcourt, and he managed to elude the CHP until after the final siren had been turned off.
For AVC, Draper had 13 pts, all in the second half, and grabbed a game-high 9 rebs. Gamiz also had 13 pts, 10 in the first half, and dished out 3 asts. The AVC Center position was productive as Ctr Zachary Hollis had 9 pts and 6 rebs while starter Shaw had 8 pts and 5 rebs. Ali had 7 pts and a game-high 5 asts.
For Chaffey, SF John Gilliam came off the bench for a team-high 11 pts. Jacko had 10 pts and 4 rebs before fouling out, and Nibo managed 10 pts despite a 1-for-10 shooting line; he also had 3 rebs, 3 asts and 2 steals. Nichols had 7 pts, 4 rebs, a team-high 4 asts and 2 steals. Sampson had 4 pts and a team-high 7 rebs.
box score
2013 Cougar Holiday Classic
Friday, December 27th @ College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita
First Round - 3 pm
Antelope Valley Marauders 58:
2-Lawrence White, SF - 1/2 fg, 1 stl, 1 pf, 2 pts
4-Lucciano Gamiz, SG - 5/12 fg, 0/2 ft, 1 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 13 pts
11-Daviyon Draper, PF - 5/13 fg, 3/5 ft, 9 reb, 2 ast, 2 pf, 13 pts
20-Ismail Ali, PG - 2/5 fg, 3/4 ft, 2 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 7 pts
32-Tajee Shaw, C - 3/3 fg, 2/4 ft, 5 reb, 1 stl, 3 pf, 8 pts
12-Zachary Hollis, C - 3/6 fg, 3/5 ft, 6 reb, 4 pf, 9 pts
1-Darren Tooke, F - 0/2 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 2 pts
5-Adrian Francis, G - 0/1 fg, 2 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 1 pf, 0 pts
10-Tim Johnson, G - 1/2 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 stl, 4 pts
24-Ryan Wright, F - 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 0 pts
21-Tim Gilmore, F - 0/1 fg, 1 pf, 0 pts
22-Kamal Holden, F - 0/2 fg, 0/1 ft, 1 reb, 1 stl, 1 pf, 0 pts
team rebounds: 5
Totals: 20/50 fg (.400), 15/25 ft (.600), 32 reb, 13 ast, 0 blk, 10 stl, 19 pf, 58 pts
3-pt fg (3): Gamiz 3
Turnovers (20): Ali 4, Draper 3, Hollis 3, Francis 3, Wright 2, Gamiz, Shaw, Tooke, Gilmore, team
Chaffey Panthers 55:
1-Adom Jacko, C - 5/6 fg, 4 reb, 1 blk, 5 pf, 10 pts
5-Roderick Evans-Taylor, SF - 0/3 fg, 1 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl, 0 pts
10-Julian Nichols, PG - 3/6 fg, 1/4 ft, 4 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 7 pts
24-Devyn Sampson, SG - 2/9 fg, 7 reb, 2 stl, 1 pf, 4 pts
35-Jeff Nibo, PF - 1/9 fg, 7/10 ft, 3 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk, 2 stl, 2 pf, 10 pts
11-John Gilliam, F - 3/5 fg, 5/9 ft, 3 reb, 2 stl, 5 pf, 11 pts
14-Pape Seck, C - 1/1 fg, 1/2 ft, 5 reb, 1 stl, 2 pf, 3 pts
32-Andre Wilson, G - 1/3 fg, 5 reb, 2 pf, 2 pts
12-Cassie Hough, G - 2/5 fg, 2/3 ft, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 1 pf, 8 pts
34-Tyler Shea, C - 0/3 fg, 1 reb, 3 pf, 0 pts
teawm rebounds: 4
Totals: 18/50 fg (.360), 16/28 ft (.571), 39 reb, 8 ast, 5 blk, 10 stl, 23 pf, 55 pts
3-pt fg (3) Hough 2, Nibo
Fouled Out: Jacko 1:49 left, Gilliam 12 seconds left
Turnovers (23): Nichols 5, Nibo 4, Sampson 3, Jacko 2, Gilliam 2, Seck 2, Wilson 2, Hough 2, team
Halftime Score: Chaffey 26, Antelope Valley 20
Updated Records: Antelope Valley (#6-South, #11-Calif) 12-3, Chaffey (#2-South, #3-Calif) 14-3
Chaffey led 22-12 with 4:30 left in the 1st half.
Antelope Valley started the 2nd half with a 9-1 run to take a 29-27 lead.
Draper scored all 13 of his points in the 2nd half.
