Host Antelope Valley won its seventh straight close game, edging Foothill conference rival Mt. San Jacinto, 78-72, in the championship game of the 2011 Gregg Anderson Memorial Tournament Sunday afternoon in Lancaster.
The Marauders remained one of five unbeaten teams in California, but they still provide their followers with plenty of drama as all seven wins have come by no more than seven points. And Sunday's win was in doubt until a pair of free throws by Ctr Dwan Caldwell with 33 seconds left.
Neither team led by more than five points until Ctr Reggie Murphy scored from near the basket to give Antelope Valley (7-0) a 20-14 lead. But that lead evaporated quickly when 3-pointers by SG Anthony Dees and PG Alex Wilson brought Mt. San Jacinto even, 20-20, with just under four minutes left in the first half.
AVC took a 31-27 lead on a 3-pointer by SG Michaelynn Scott with about 25 seconds left in the half. Mt. San Jacinto got a turnaround one-hander from Dees in the final seconds to make it 31-29 at the break.
The lead went back and forth throughout the second half, with AVC taking a pair of five-point leads. Then Mt. San Jacinto scored five straight points, tying the game at 59 on a driving one-hander by SF Josh Gouch with just under six minutes left.
Mt. San Jacinto (7-3) had a chance to take the lead, but both Scott and Caldwell blocked shots in the lane, starting a fast break that ended with Wilson grabbing Scott for an intentional foul with 4:58 left. Scott made both free throws, giving AVC a 61-59 lead, and the Marauders led the rest of the way.
Mt. San Jacinto stayed close, trailing by three until SF Jason Johnson converted a 3-point play with 2:59 left to make it 67-61. The Eagles got back within four points on a putback basket by SG Taylor Bell, but then Johnson hit a 3-point field goal to make it 70-63.
Mt. San Jacinto got a pair of free throws from Bell after another offensive rebound with exactly one minute left, and got the ball back moments later on a turnover.
But Gouch missed a shot and Caldwell got the rebound, his 14th of the game and 13th of the second half. He was fouled immediately and swished both free throws, making it 72-65. Mt. San Jacinto PF Montreal Harris drove the lane moments later, only to have the ball tipped away from behind by Scott. The ball went back to Scott, who was fouled and made two free throws with 22.5 seconds left to make it 74-65 and clinch the win for AVC.
Johnson had a game-high 21 pts, including 4 threes, for the Marauders and was named tournament Most Valuable Player. Scott had 13 pts, 3 asts and 3 steals. And Caldwell, who barely played in AVC's first-round win over Glendale and was a DNP-CD in the second round against Moorpark, had the game's only double-double with 10 pts and a game-high 14 rebs.
Da'Shawn Gomez had 8 pts, 5 asts and 2 steals, and was named to the all-tournament team, as was Ctr Reggie Murphy, who had 6 pts and 7 rebs vs. Mt. San Jacinto but scored in double figures in both of AVC's wins earlier in the tournament.
Wilson had a huge game for Mt. San Jacinto with 15 pts, including 3 threes, 7 rebs and 6 asts, earning a spot on the all-tournament team. Dees also had 15 pts and three 3-point baskets and was also named to the all-tournament team. Ctr Greg Dixon had 11 pts, 9 rebs and 3 blocked shots, and Bell came off the bench for 11 pts and 6 rebs.
AVC's unbeaten record, however, will be put to the test in the coming days as the Marauders travel to Saddleback to take on another unbeaten team, the #1-ranked Citrus Owls, at 1 pm on Thursday. Mt. San Jacinto is off until they also travel to Saddleback but a week later for the Bill Brummel tournament on December 15th.
box score
2011 Gregg Anderson Memorial Tournament
Sunday, December 4th @ Antelope Valley College, Lancaster
Championship Game - 5 pm
Mt. San Jacinto Eagles 72:
0-Josh Gouch, SF 3/14 fg, 1/2 ft, 6 reb, 2 pf, 7 pts
1-Anthony Dees, SG 5/10 fg, 2/2 ft, 5 reb, 1 ast, 15 pts
2-Montreal Harris, PF 4/10 fg, 1/1 ft, 3 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 3 pf, 9 pts
5-Alex Wilson, PG 5/9 fg, 2/2 ft, 7 reb, 6 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 15 pts
33-Greg Dixon, C 5/9 fg, 1/1 ft, 9 reb, 1 ast, 3 blk, 1 stl, 4 pf, 11 pts
32-Jamar Cannon, F 1/4 fg, 2 reb, 1 pf, 2 pts
4-DAnthony Peterson, G 0/4 fg, 0/4 ft, 1 reb, 1 ast, 0 pts
13-Taylor Bell, G 3/7 fg, 4/4 ft, 6 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 11 pts
22-Danny Hopkins, F 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 1 stl, 0 pts
30-Marc Ringnell, C 1/1 fg, 1 reb, 1 pf, 2 pts
team rebounds: 2
Totals: 27/69 fg (.391), 11/16 ft (.688), 43 reb, 12 ast, 3 blk, 7 stl, 16 pf, 72 pts
3-pt fg (7): Dees 3, Wilson 3, Bell
Intentional Foul: Wilson
Turnovers (16): Wilson 4, Gouch 3, Dees 3, Harris 3, Bell 3
Antelope Valley Marauders 78:
10-DaShawn Gomez, PG 3/8 fg, 5 ast, 2 stl, 8 pts
11-Jason Johnson, SF 7/17 fg, 3/3 ft, 5 reb, 2 ast, 4 pf, 21 pts
12-Michaelyn Scott, SG 4/6 fg, 4/5 ft, 2 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl, 2 pf, 13 pts
22-Vadal Faniel, PF 2/7 fg, 1/1 ft, 3 reb, 1 ast, 2 pf, 5 pts
34-Reggie Murphy, C 2/3 fg, 2/2 ft, 7 reb, 3 ast, 2 pf, 6 pts
42-Dwan Caldwell, C 4/11 fg, 2/2 ft, 14 reb, 1 blk, 10 pts
21-Sean Boston, F 1/6 fg, 5/6 ft, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl, 1 pf, 8 pts
24-Larry Slaughter, F 2 reb, 0 pts
20-Chris Bridges, G 1/4 fg, 4/4 ft, 2 reb, 3 ast, 4 pf, 7 pts
3-Joshua Blaylock, G 0/2 fg, 0 pts
2-Terrance Berry, F 1 pf, 0 pts
team rebounds: 5
Totals: 24/64 fg (.375), 21/23 ft (.913), 42 reb, 18 ast, 3 blk, 7 stl, 16 pf, 78 pts
3-pt fg (9): Johnson 4, Gomez 2, Scott, Boston, Bridges
Turnovers (14): Gomez 4, Faniel 3, Johnson 2, Murphy 2, Bridges 2, Boston
Halftime Score: Antelope Valley 31, Mt. San Jacinto 29
Updated Records: Antelope Valley (#4-South, #6-Calif) 7-0, Mt. San Jacinto (#3-South, #5-Calif) 7-3
Neither team led by more than 6 points until AVC took a 70-63 lead on a 3-pointer by Johnson with under two minutes left.
Johnson was named MVP and Gomez, Murphy & Scott were named to the all-tournament team for AVC. Dees, Harris & Wilson were named to the all-tournament team for Mt. San Jacinto. This is the 13th time AVC has won this tournament and the first since 2006.
