Santa Rosa won a battle of North vs. South against Mt. San Jacinto Thursday afternoon, pulling away late in the second half to post a 72-63 win in the second round of the 2012 RCC Holiday Tournament.
The game featured the Bear Cubs, ranked #3 in the North, against the Eagles, ranked #6 in the South, and seemed a match-up of two very good teams. And the game lived up to the billing in a game that was both compelling and well-played, with Santa Rosa (8-3) pulling away for a 10-point lead with just over five minutes left and holding on for the win in the final minute.
Santa Rosa started out extremely well, jumping out to a 24-7 lead in the game's first nine minutes. A 3-pointer by PG Max Fujii gave the Bear Cubs a double-digit lead at 15-5, and after a short jumper by PF Connor Gillett made it 17-5, Fujii hit another three to make it 20-7. SG Jajuan Hammond made two free throws with 11:54 left in the half and hit a short jumper moments later to make it 24-7.
But Mt. San Jacinto (9-2) raced back with a 17-0 run, sparked by a guard named M. Jordan who wears #23. SG Mylin Jordan got the Eagles back within ten with a 3-point play after a steal, and then converted another 3-point play to make it 24-17. A steal & lay-up by PF Montreal Harris and two free thorws by SFDwayne Benjamin made it 24-21. Then Jordan passed to Harris for a jumper that made it a one-point game. Jordan split two free throws with 7:32 left in the half to even the score at 24.
The game stayed close the rest of the half. Harris hit a 3-pointer for Mt. San Jacinto to tie the score at 35 with about 30 seconds left in the half. But SF Xavier McCall hit a jumper in the final seconds to give Santa Rosa a 37-35 lead at the break.
That 2-point lead was short-lived as SG Sam Natt made a 3-pointer early in the second half to put the Eagles back in front, 38-37. Neither team led by more than four points after that until Santa Rosa took a 51-45 lead on a jumper by Ctr Darin Grayer.
Santa Rosa pushed its lead to 10 after a 3-pointer by SG Bobby Sharp, a free throw by McCall and a steal & lay-up by Hammond that made it 60-50 with just over five minutes to play. Mt. San Jacinto cut the deficit to five points at 62-57 with 2:20 left on another Natt 3-pointer, but Sharp answered with a 3-pointer moments later and McCall threw down a slam with 1:24 left to make it 67-57.
Mt. San Jacinto attempted one last rally, getting the margin down to six points after a driving lay-up by PG D'Anthony Peterson and a basket by SF Dajuan Smith after a steal with 54.8 seconds left.
But Santa Rosa closed the game out with free throws after that. Gillett made two free throws wih 47.9 seconds left to make it 69-61. Fujii, Sharp and Hammond each made one of two free throws over the last 35.9 seconds to clinch the win for Santa Rosa.
For Santa Rosa, Hammond came off the bench for 18 pts and he also had 9 rebs, 3 asts and a steal. Sharp had 14 pts, including 3 threes, despite some tenacious defense by Peterson. McCall had 14 pts, 4 rebs, 4 asts and 2 steals. Fujii had 13 pts, including 4 threes, plus 3 rebs, 3 asts and 2 steals.
For Mt. San Jacinto, Harris had a huge game with 18 pts, 15 rebs, 4 asts and 3 steals. Natt had 17 pts, including 4 three-pointers, plus 7 rebs, 2 asts and 3 steals. Jordan had 13 pts off the bench, though all of that came in the first half.
box score
2012 RCC Holiday Tournament
Thursday, December 6th @ Wheelock Gym, Riverside
Second Round Game - 3 pm
Santa Rosa Bear Cubs 72:
10-Max Fujii, PG - 4/9 fg, 1/2 ft, 3 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 3 pf, 13 pts
11-Bobby Sharp, SG - 5/11 fg, 1/2 ft, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 14 pts
24-Xavier McCall, SF - 5/17 fg, 3/6 ft, 4 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 3 pf, 14 pts
32-Connor Gillett, PF - 1/2 fg, 3/4 ft, 6 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 5 pts
44-Luke Cocheran, C - 2/3 fg, 0/2 ft, 11 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 4 pf, 4 pts
23-Jajuan Hammond, G - 5/9 fg, 7/9 ft, 9 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 18 pts
50-Darin Grayer, C - 2/3 fg, 2 reb, 2 pf, 4 pts
33-Brian Johnson, F - 0/1 fg, 2 reb, 1 pf, 0 pts
34-Alec Kabre, G - 1 pf, 0 pts
21-Tyler Imhoff, G - 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 1 pf, 0 pts
team rebounds: 1
Totals: 24/55 fg (.436), 15/25 ft (.600), 43 reb, 16 ast, 1 blk, 7 stl, 20 pf, 72 pts
3-pt fg (9): Fujii 4, Sharp 3, McCall, Hammond
Turnovers (14): Hammond 6, Fujii 2, Gillett 2, McCall, Cocheran, Grayer, Kabre
Mt. San Jacinto Eagles 63:
1-Hassante Manning, C - 2 reb, 3 ast, 4 pf, 0 pts
3-Sam Natt, SG - 6/17 fg, 1/2 ft, 7 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 4 pf, 17 pts
4-D'Anthony Peterson, PG - 2/8 fg, 1 reb, 1 ast, 3 pf, 4 pts
5-Dwayne Benjamin, SF - 2/13 fg, 2/2 ft, 7 reb, 1 ast, 2 pf, 7 pts
13-Montreal Harris, PF - 8/17 fg, 1/3 ft, 15 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl, 3 pf, 18 pts
11-Malcolm McFarland, G - 0/1 fg, 1 ast, 1 pf, 0 pts
24-Donovan Clark, C - 0/2 fg, 0/2 ft, 2 reb, 1 pf, 0 pts
2-Mark Ware, F - 0/2 fg, 2 reb, 2 pf, 0 pts
23-Mylin Jordan, G - 4/11 fg, 5/7 ft, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 13 pts
15-Dajuan Smith, F - 1/2 fg, 1 reb, 1 stl, 2 pts
30-Marc Ringnell, C - 1/1 fg, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 pf, 2 pts
team rebounds: 5
Totals: 24/74 fg (.324), 9/16 ft (.563), 45 reb, 14 ast, 0 blk, 8 stl, 22 pf, 63 pts
3-pt fg (6): Natt 4, Benjamin, Harris
Turnovers (13): Peterson 4, Manning 3, Harris 3, Benjamin, Clark, Ringnell
Halftime Score: Santa Rosa 37, Mt. San Jacinto 35
Updated Records: Santa Rosa (#3-North, #5-Calif) 8-3, Mt. San Jacinto (#6-South, #11-Calif) 9-2
Santa Rosa led 24-7 midway through the 1st half but Jordan sparked a 17-0 run that brought Mt. San Jacinto even with 7:32 left in the half.
Santa Rosa led 60-50 with just over 5 minutes left. Mt. San Jacinto got with 5 at 62-57 with 2:20 left but never quite caught up.
