Ctr Joe Vaz had 16 pts, 13 rebs and a key blocked shot, and SG Chauncy Sirles came off the bench for 14 pts and a huge rebound as Palomar knocked off host Riverside, 59-55, in the second round of the 2012 RCC Holiday Tournament Thursday night.
In what has to be one of the biggest wins in program history, Palomar (7-4) built a 10-point lead with 4:35 left, but had to hold off a furious late charge from the Tigers (5-4), handing the perennial OEC power its first loss in re-built Wheelock Gym.
Palomar saw the 10-point lead dwindle to a single point after a driving lay-up by SG Dominique Lanier with 33.4 seconds left. But thanks to several key plays in the final 30 seconds the Comets were able to close out the win in front of the home Riverside crowd.
SG Dejuan Ervin was fouled with 28.9 seconds left and made the first of two free throws to make it 57-55. He missed the second, but grabbed his own rebound. Riverside PF Anthony Rounds blocked that shot, and the officials ruled a held ball the rebound; the arrow favored Palomar, giving the Comets the ball with 26.5 seconds left.
On the restart, Vaz was fouled with 22.6 seconds left and made one of two free throws to make it 58-55. Then on Riverside's possession, Lanier again drove the lane. But this time Vaz blocked his shot, and Sirles leaped over the end line to save the rebound.
Palomar nearly put the game away with a lay-up off an outlet pass to Sirles, but Riverside SF Bernard Ireland chased down Sirles and blocked his lay-up attempt. But Palomar controlled the rebound. Ervin was fouled and made one more free throw with 8.9 seconds left to make it 59-55 and clinch the win for the Comets.
That frantic finish came at the end of what was a closely-contested game that saw neither squad lead by more than five points until Palomar built the 10-point lead with 4:35 left. Riverside led, 7-2, early on but Palomar rallied to lead, 9-7. Palomar led, 25-20, late in the first half, but Riverside rallied to take a 27-25 lead at the half on Lanier's driving lay-up with about 10 seconds left in the first half.
Palomar took a five point lead again on a 3-pointer by PF Calvin Smith with 11:15 left. Smith hit another thrree about two minutes later to again give the Comets a 5-point lead, this time at 43-38. A 3-pointer by Sirles pushed the lead to eight points at 46-38. A slam dunk by Sirles after an outlet pass from SF Nate Coleman made it 50-40 with 4:35 left.
But Riverside nearly pulled off the comeback. A 3-pointer by Ireland just 20 seconds later got the Tigers started. Lanier made two free throws with 2:43 left to make it 50-45. Another Ireland 3-pointer with 1:16 left made it 54-50. After Ervin scored for Palomar on an outlet pass, PG Mason Biddle converted a 3-point play for the Tigers with 47.8 seconds left to make it 56-53. Then Biddle stole a Vaz pass in the backcourt and scored to make it 56-55, but that would be Riverside's last basket of the game.
For Palomar, the 7-foot-1 Vaz, known in some quarters as "The Big Show" (in reference to the WWE wrestler, who is also 7-1) had team-highs of 16 pts and 13 rebs. Smith had 11 pts, including 3 threes, plus 5 rebs and 4 asts. Sirles came off the bench for 14 pts and added 3 rebs, 2 blocks, 3 steals and an assist. SF Kendall Thompson chipped in with 10 pts including a pair of three-pointers.
For Riverside, Ireland had a team-high 17 pts, including 4 three-pointers. Lanier had 11 pts, 6 rebs and 3 asts. Rounds came off the bench for 7 pts and a team-high 13 rebs. But the Tigers shot just 28% from the floor and 58% from the line.
The win not only signifies a big milestone for Palomar, but also for the Pacific Coast Conference. The Comets will play PCC rival San Diego City in the semifinal tomorrow, ensuring that a PCC team will be in the championship game on Saturday.
box score
2012 RCC Holiday Tournament
Thursdsay, December 6th @ Wheelock Gym, Riverside
Second Round Game - 7 pm
Palomar Comets 59:
4-Dejuan Ervin, SG - 3/15 fg, 2/4 ft, 3 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 4 pf, 8 pts
10-Zach Ramirez, PG - 4 reb, 2 ast, 1 pf, 0 pts
12-Calvin Smith, PF - 4/7 fg, 5 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk, 2 pf, 11 pts
21-Nate Coleman, SF - 0/3 fg, 5 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl, 4 pf, 0 pts
50-Joe Vaz, C - 5/12 fg, 6/8 ft, 13 reb, 2 blk, 3 pf, 16 pts
20-Chauncy Sirles, G - 5/14 fg, 2/2 ft, 3 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 3 stl, 3 pf, 14 pts
33-Kendall Thompson, F - 4/6 fg, 1 reb, 1 stl, 2 pf, 10 pts
22-Corey Phillips, F - 0/3 fg, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 0 pts
3-Marley Simmons, G - 2 reb, 1 blk, 2 pf, 0 pts
24-Aaron Roedl, G - 0 pts
team rebounds: 5
Totals: 21/60 fg (.350), 10/14 ft (.714), 42 reb, 14 ast, 8 blk, 8 stl, 21 pf, 59 pts
3-pt fg (7): Smith 3, Sirles 2, Thompson 2
Turnovers (19): Ramirez 5, Coleman 5, Ervin 3, Smith 2, Vaz, Sirles, Thompson, team
Riverside Tigers 55:
0-Dominique Lanier, SG - 4/10 fg, 3/4 ft, 6 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 11 pts
4-Jeffrey Gonzalez, PF - 0/3 fg, 6 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 0 pts
5-Mason Biddle, PG - 1/9 fg, 3/5 ft, 3 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl, 4 pf, 5 pts
21-Bernard Ireland, SF - 4/11 fg, 5/6 ft, 2 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 2 pf, 17 pts
24-Shannon Fowler, C - 3/11 fg, 0/2 ft, 4 reb, 1 blk, 6 pts
40-Anthony Rounds, F - 3/7 fg, 0/2 ft, 13 reb, 1 blk, 2 pf, 7 pts
2-Joses Franklin, G - 0/1 fg, 1 stl, 0 pts
10-Kendall Schmidt, F - 2/9 fg, 1/2 ft, 5 reb, 2 stl, 2 pf, 5 pts
44-Thomas Folsom, C - 0/1 fg, 1/2 ft, 3 reb, 2 pf, 1 pt
1-Reggie Kindle, F - 1/2 fg, 1/1 ft, 1 reb, 1 stl, 1 pf, 3 pts
14-Nate Robinson, G - 1 pf, 0 pts
team rebounds: 5
Totals: 18/64 fg (.278), 14/24 ft (.583), 48 reb, 11 ast, 3 blk, 9 stl, 19 pf, 55 pts
3-pt fg (5): Ireland 4, Rounds
Turnovers (18): Lanier 6, Biddle 3, Gonzalez 2, Rounds 2, Ireland, Franklin, Schmidt, Folsom, Kindle
Halftime Score: Riverside 27, Palomar 25
Neither team led by more than 5 until Sirles' 3-pointer gave Palomar a 46-38 lead with 8:20 left.
Palomar led 50-40 after Sirles' dunk with 4:35 left.
Riverside got within a point at 56-55 after Lanier's driving lay-up with 33.4 seconds left.
A FT and an offensive rebound by Ervin, a FT and a blocked shot by Vaz, and nifty save by Sirles and a FT by Ervin all in the last 29.6 seconds saved the win for Palomar.
