Ctr Earl Isaacson scored 30 pts, including the last 6 points of the game, and SF Reuben Mitchell capped off a marvelous overall game with a block at the rim to preserve a 2-point lead with 22.6 seconds left as College of the Desert (t-#5 South, t-#10 Calif, 21-5, 9-1 in conference) edged host Chaffey (#9 South, #17 Calf, 17-8, 7-3) 83-79 Saturday afternoon in Rancho Cucamonga.
Desert threatened to put the game away at least twice, only to see Chaffey rally time after time. But it was the Roadrunners who posted the final rally. After PG Haron Hargrave gave Chaffey a 79-77 lead with 2:22 left, COD didn't allow the Panthers another point. And Isaacson tied the game on a layup after a pass from Mitchell, gave COD the lead after a feed from PG Walter Carr, and sealed the win with a pair of free throws with 13.8 seconds left, giving Chaffey a 4-point lead.
But things could have ended quite differently if not for a magnificent defensive play from COD's resident defensive stopper. After Isaacson gave COD an 81-79 lead, Chaffey SG T.J. Smith drove to the basket in an effort to tie the game. But Mitchell was waiting. Just as Smith went up for the dunk, Mitchell also jumped and cleanly blocked the shot. Mitchell then corralled the rebound and called timeout before Chaffey could foul him. That preserved the 81-79 lead with 22.6 seconds left. Isaacson's free throws moments later clinched the win for COD, which remains tied with San Bernardino Valley for first place in the tough Foothill Conference.
In the first half, Chaffey led 18-16 before COD backup SG Nick Quick gave the Roadrunners a big lift. Quick made a short jumper and a pair of threes to spur a 19-3 run that culminated with a three by SG Mike Lang. But Chaffey rallied, scoring the next 6 points and eventually tying the game at 40 after a steal by reserve SF Arnie Hollis that led to a three by PF Victor Michel. Mitchell scored on a putback for COD just before halftime that gave the Roadrunners a 42-40 lead at the break. For the half, COD shot 64% from the floor but thanks to the Chaffey pressure, had 18 turnovers. Conversely, Chaffey shot just 29% from the field but had attempted a remarkable 48 shots.
Most of the second half was a close, tense affair as neither team could build a lead. Threes by SG Vince Alvarado and Smith, plus a 2-point jumper by Alvarado, allowed Chaffey to tie the game at 58, and a three by Ctr Brandon Price made it a 1-point game at 64-63. But then COD went on a 9-0 run and nearly put the game away. First, Isaacson scored a FG+FT 3-point play, and Mitchell followed that with a basket to make it 69-63. Then the Desert fans got energized as Lang threw down a pair of monster jams following steals.
Chaffey called timeout, and then the Panthers rallied to take a 2-point lead. A pair of free throws by Smith, baskets by PF Sheldon Franklin and Hargrave got Chaffey close. Then Hargrave was fouled attempting a 3-point shot with 3:05 left. He made the first two shots, tying the game at 77, but missed the third. However, moments later he scored on an acrobatic driving layup to give Chaffey a 2-point lead at 79-77 with 2:22 left. Those, however, would be the last points Chaffey would score, thanks largely to COD's Mitchell.
Isaacson led all scorers with 30 pts, making 13 of 17 shots and pulling down a game-high 12 rebs. Meanwhile, Mitchell flirted with a triple-double before settling for 16 pts, 9 rebs, 8 asts, 3 blocks and 3 steals. He made 7 of 8 shots, his only miss coming when Chaffey Ctr Justian Hamilton blocked a layup attempt out of bounds. And of course one of those blocks proved to be the difference in the game. Lang added 16 pts including 3 very loud dunks, and made 7 of 11 shots from the floor. Quick added 10 pts including 2 threes off the bench, while Carr had 6 pts and 7 asts.
Chaffey had 5 players score in double figures, led by Hargrave with 14. Michel and Franklin each had 13, while Alvarado had 12. Smith had 11 plus a team-best 9 rebs.
box score
Saturday, February 5, 2005 - 3 pm
at Chaffey College, Rancho Cucamonga
Foothill Conference
College of the Desert Roadrunners 83:
3-Mike Lang, SG - 7/11 fg, 3 reb, 3 ast, 3 blk, 16 pts
32-Reuben Mitchell, SF - 7/8 fg, 2/2 ft, 9 reb, 8 ast, 3 blk, 3 stl, 16 pts
35-Daniel Cruz, PG - 0/1 fg, 2 reb, 2 ast, 0 pts
42-Earl Isaacson, C - 13/17 fg, 4/5 ft, 12 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 30 pts
50-Troy Beebe, PF - 1/3 fg, 3 reb, 2 blk, 2 pts
4-Walter Carr, G - 3/6 fg, 0/2 ft, 3 reb, 7 ast, 1 stl, 6 pts
20-Princeton Joshway, F - 1/2 fg, 1/2 ft, 7 reb, 4 ast, 3 pts
22-Nick Quick, G - 3/6 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 reb, 2 ast, 10 pts
team rebounds: 5
Totals: 35/54 fg (.648), 9/13 ft (.692), 45 reb, 29 ast, 9 blk, 4 stl, 83 pts
3-pt fg (4): Lang 2, Quick 2
Turnovers (31): Lang 7, Beebe 6, Joshway 6, Cruz 3, Isaacson 3, Mitchell 2, Carr 2, Quick, team
Chaffey Panthers 79:
3-Haron Hargrave, PG - 4/12 fg, 4/5 ft, 2 ast, 1 stl, 14 pts
4-T.J. Smith, SF - 4/13 fg, 2/2 ft, 9 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 11 pts
10-Vince Alvarado, SG - 5/12 fg, 2 ast, 1 stl, 12 pts
11-Justian Hamilton, C - 2/4 fg, 1/2 ft, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 5 pts
33-Victor Michel, PF - 5/11 fg, 1/2 ft, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 4 stl, 13 pts
32-Sheldon Franklin, F - 4/14 fg, 4/4 ft, 4 reb, 1 stl, 13 pts
22-Chris Brown, G - 1/8 fg, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 2 pts
34-Brandon Price, C - 3/9 fg, 0/1 ft, 6 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk, 3 stl, 7 pts
15-Ronnie Bullock, F - 1/1 fg, 1 reb, 2 stl, 2 pts
41-Arnie Hollis, F - 0/1 fg, 1 ast, 1 stl, 0 pts
team rebounds: 5
Totals: 29/85 fg (.341), 12/16 ft (.750), 33 reb, 15 ast, 4 blk, 16 stl, 79 pts
3-pt fg (9): Hargrave 2, Alvarado 2, Michel 2, Smith, Franklin, Price
Turnovers (11): Franklin 3, Brown 3, Price 2, Hargrave, Hamilton, Bullock
Halftime Score: Desert 42, Chaffey 40
Updated Records: Desert 21-5, 9-1 in conf; Chaffey 17-8, 7-3 in conf
Isaacson scored the game's last 6 pts. Mitchell's block on Smith at the rim with 22.6 secs left preserved a 2-point lead for COD.
