Blake Hamilton scored 22 pts and grabbed 11 rebs, and Shannon Fowler added 19 pts as host and #1-ranked Mt. San Antonio ran its record to 11-0 with a 91-81 win over #6-N Fresno in the championship of the 2014 Mountie Classic.
It was a hard-fought foul-filled game - there were 58 personal fouls, two flagrant fouls and a technical that resulted in an NBA-like total of 68 free throws - and Mt. San Antonio (11-0) led virtually the whole way. But Fresno (9-3) stayed close and was within four points with under five minutes to go and within six points with 1:27 left.
Neither team led by more than five points until Hamilton drained a three with 1:15 left in the first half to give Mt. SAC a 41-35 lead. Then a lay-up by Hamilton following a steal by Malcolm Whittington made it 43-35. Fresno got a basket from Evan Sillahn in the final seconds of the half to make it 43-37 at intermission.
Mt. San Antonio started to pull away early in the second half, with Hamilton and Fowler scoring in the first minute to give the Mounties a 10-point lead at 47-37. A 3-point play by Fowler off a lob pass from Mike Peters made it 52-39 with 16:51 left as Mt. SAC stretched its lead to 13 points.
Fresno cut into the margin when Thomas Cowen was assessed two fouls on the same play - one during play and a flagrant foul in the aftermath - resulting in two free throws each for Liam O'Reily and Anthony Ballestero. Those points, plus a lay-up by O'Reily on a baseline drive moments later, brought the Rams within seven points at 54-47.
Mt. SAC pushed the lead back to double figures when Fresno's Kyle Ingram was assessed a flagrant foul and Stephaun Branch made two free throws to make it 58-47 with 14:01 left. The lead reached as many as 14 points after Branch made two more free throws midway through the second half to make it 67-53.
Fresno battled back, however, cutting the margin to single digits again on a 3-point play by Ingram with 9:33 left. Three straight baskets by Brandon Shelton got the Rams within four points at 74-70 with 4:53 left.
But Mt. SAC never let Fresno get any closer. It was still just a six-point game after Christian Carroll converted a 3-point play for the Rams to make it 83-77 with 1:27 left. But Hamilton and LaMarquis Thompson each made a pair of free throws to push the lead back to ten points at 89-79 and clinch the win for the Mounties.
Hamilton led all scorers with his 22 pts and his 11 boards were a game-high. Fowler earned tournament MVP honors and had 19 pts, 6 rebs and 3 steals. Branch had 16 pts, 7 rebs, 3 asts, 2 blocks and 2 steals to earn a spot on the all-tournament team. Peters had 13 pts and a team-high 8 asts.
For Fresno, Dejon Burdeaux scored a team-high 17 pts and was named to the all-tournament team. Shelton was 7-for-9 from the floor for 14 pts. Sillahn came off the bench for 11 pts. James O'Neal had 7 pts and a team-high 8 asts.
2014 Mountie Classic
Sunday, December 7th @ Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut
Championship Game - 3 pm
Fresno Rams 81:
2-Dejon Burdeaux, SG - 4/6 fg, 9/12 ft, 2 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 3 pf, 17 pts
3-James O'Neal, PG - 3/6 fg, 1/2 ft, 4 reb, 8 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 7 pts
4-Ryan Swain, SF - 2/4 fg, 1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 4 pts
15-Brandon Shelton, PF - 7/9 fg, 0/2 ft, 1 reb, 1 ast, 4 pf, 14 pts
35-Kyle Ingram, C - 1/2 fg, 1/1 ft, 6 reb, 3 pf, 3 pts
21-Christian Caroll, G - 2/2 fg, 3/3 ft, 1 reb, 4 ast, 3 pf, 7 pts
33-Liam O'Reily, F - 1/3 fg, 2/2 ft, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 3 pf, 4 pts
22-Josh Sykes, C - 3/3 fg, 1/2 ft, 4 reb, 2 ast, 5 blk, 4 pf, 7 pts
14-Jaffery Stillman, F - 1/1 fg, 3 reb, 1 pf, 2 pts
20-Evan Sillahn, G - 4/9 fg, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 11 pts
10-Anthony Ballestero, G - 1/3 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 reb, 1 pf, 5 pts
34-Tyler Morgan, G - 0/1 fg, 0 pts
team rebounds: 3
Totals: 29/49 fg (.592), 19/26 ft (.731), 30 reb, 23 ast, 6 blk, 6 stl, 30 pf, 81 pts
Flagrant Foul: Ingram (FL-1)
Technical Foul: Swain
Turnovers (25): O'Neal 7, Burdeaux 4, Swain 4, Ballestero 3, Ingram 2, Carroll 2, Shelton, O'Reily, Sillahn
Mt. San Antonio Mounties 91:
3-Mike Peters, PG - 2/6 fg, 7/8 ft, 2 reb, 8 ast, 2 stl, 3 pf, 13 pts
4-Blake Hamilton, PF - 7/16 fg, 7/12 ft, 11 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 22 pts
23-Shannon Fowler, C - 8/14 fg, 3/3 ft, 6 reb, 3 stl, 4 pf, 19 pts
24-Samuel Holmes, SG - 1/5 fg, 2/2 ft, 3 reb, 3 pf, 4 pts
32-Stephaun Branch, SF - 5/12 fg, 5/7 ft, 7 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk, 2 stl, 2 pf, 16 pts
33-LaMarquis Thompson, G - 1/2 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk, 1 stl, 3 pf, 4 pts
11-Nate Robinson, G - 1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 0 pts
50-Thomas Cowen, C - 2/2 ft, 5 pf, 2 pts
42-Adriel McGee, F - 1/2 ft, 1 reb, 2 pf, 1 pt
22-Sam Bide, G - 2/2 fg, 1 reb, 2 pf, 5 pts
20-Malcom Whittington, G - 2/6 fg, 0/4 ft, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 5 pts
team rebounds: 3
Totals: 28/63 fg (.444), 29/42 ft (.690), 37 reb, 19 ast, 4 blk, 11 stl, 28 pf, 91 pts
3-pt fg (6): Peters 2, Hamilton, Branch, Bide, Whittington
Flagrant Foul: Cowen (FL-1)
Fouled Out: Cowen 15:30 left
Turnovers (14): Peters 4, Bide 4, Fowler 2, Thompson 2, Cowen, Whhittington
Halftime Score: Mt. San Antonio 43, Fresno 37
Updated Records: Mt. San Antonio (#1-South, #1-Calif) 11-0, Fresno (#6-North, #12-Calif) 9-3
Mt. SAC led the entire 2nd half but the lead was just 6 with 1:25 left
Fowler (MVP) and Branch from Mt. SAC and Burdeaux from Fresno were named to the all-tournament team.
