PG Branden Fisher had 20 pts, including a driving lay-up that broke a 57-57 tie with one minute left, to lead #7 LA City (9-2) to a 59-57 win over #11 Santa Monica (7-3) in the first round of the Rio Hondo Classic tournament Thursday afternoon.
Fisher finished 7 of 11 from the floor, and also had 4 rebs and 4 asts for the Cubs. SG Scott Sterling came off the bench to chip in with 12 pts and a game-high 5 asts, and PF Ricky Boyles added 4 pts and a game-high 12 rebs.
This one was close all the way, with LA City opening the games largest lead of 8 points at 32-24 only to see Santa Monica score the last 6 points of the first halftime to cut the margin to 2 points at 32-30 at the break. A three by Sterling to begin the second half pushed the Cub lead back to 5, but the Corsairs stayed close and eventually tied the game at 48 after a 3-pointer by SG Noah Gottlieb with 5:55 left.
Santa Monica went in front on a 3-pointer by SF Carl Kindborg with 5:25 left, and still led, 55-52 into the final two minutes until a steal by Fisher led to a jam by Ctr Diego Belizario that brought LA City to within a point at 55-54. Then, after a steal by SG Eric Nelson, the Cubs drained the shot clock down to the final seconds, at which point Fisher drained an NBA-distance three to put City ahead, 57-55.
Santa Monica tied the game at 57 when SG Calvin Mitchell scored on a runner with 1:18 left. But Fishers driving lay-up put the Cubs back in front and ended up being the final points of the game. Kindborg missed a long two-point jumper that would have tied the game in the final seconds.
For Santa Monica, Mitchell and SF Keivan Cross each scored 11 pts to lead the way. Mitchell also had 4 steals. Gottlieb had 8 pts and a team-high 4 asts for the Corsairs. PF Art Braswell came off the bench to have 8 pts and 4 steals.
box score
Rio Hondo Classic
Thursday, December 6, 2007
First Round 1 pm
Santa Monica Corsairs 57:
10-Avery Martin, PG 2/5 fg, 1/1 ft, 3 reb, 2 pf, 5 pts
11-Noah Gottlieb, SG 3/12 fg, 1/1 ft, 4 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 8 pts
23-Keivan Cross, SF 4/13 fg, 2 reb, 1 pf, 11 pts
34-Dennis Twumasi, PF 2/4 fg, 2 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl, 3 pf, 4 pts
54-John Brown, C 0/4 fg, 0/2 ft, 3 reb, 3 blk, 5 pf, 0 pts
21-Art Braswell, F 3/6 fg, 2/3 ft, 2 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 4 stl, 4 pf, 8 pts
33-Carl Kindborg, F 1/3 fg, 1/2 ft, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 4 pts
24-Ryan Avilez, G 2/5 fg, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 5 pts
14-Calvin Mitchell, G 4/8 fg, 3/4 ft, 2 reb, 1 ast, 4 stl, 2 pf, 11 pts
12-Chris Blackwood, G 1/2 ft, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 pt
55-Derrick Thompson, F 0 pts
32-Gary Rodgers, F 0/3 fg, 2 reb, 0 pts
team rebounds: 4
Totals: 21/63 fg (.333), 9/15 ft (.600), 29 reb, 14 ast, 5 blk, 14 stl, 20 pf, 57 pts
3-pt fg (6): Cross 3, Gottlieb, Kindborg, Avilez
Technical Foul: Martin
Fouled Out: Brown 7:44 left
Turnovers (14): Gottlieb 4, Braswell 3, Twumasi 2, Brown 2, Martin, Cross, Mitchell
LA City Cubs 59:
2-Eric Nelson, SG 1/7 fg, 3/4 ft, 2 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 5 pts
5-Branden Fisher, PG 7/11 fg, 4/4 ft, 4 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 20 pts
11-Chris Telesford, SF 2/3 fg, 1 reb, 1 stl, 1 pf, 5 pts
15-Diego Belizario, C 3/5 fg, 1/3 fg, 4 reb, 1 ast, 4 pf, 7 pts
21-Maurice Walter, PF 1/2 fg, 2/4 ft, 7 reb, 1 ast, 2 pf, 4 pts
20-Ricky Boyles, F 2/5 fg, 12 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 4 pts
22-Scott Sterling, G 5/11 fg, 4 reb, 5 ast, 3 pf, 12 pts
50-Travis George, C 1/1 fg, 0/2 ft, 1 reb, 2 blk, 5 pf, 2 pts
10-Mundrell Young, F 0 pts
13-James White, G 0/2 fg, 0 pts
team rebounds: 10
Totals: 22/47 fg (.468), 10/17 ft (.588), 45 reb, 13 ast, 4 blk, 4 stl, 18 pf, 59 pts
3-pt fg (5): Fisher 2, Sterling 2, Telesford
Technical Foul: Walter, George
Fouled Out: George
Turnovers (28): Nelson 5, Boyles 5, Fisher 4, Sterling 4, Walters 3, Telesford 2, Belizario 2, Young 2, team
Halftime Score: LA City 32, Santa Monica 30
Updated Records: LA City (#7-South, #16-Calif) 9-2, Santa Monica (#11-South) 7-3
Fisher scored with 1:00 left to break a 57-57 tie
