Diablo Valley (22-7, 9-1) stayed atop the Big 8 Conference, getting strong performances from reserves PF Antonio Rushing and PG Brandon May Tuesday night and escaping with a 63-60 win over host Modesto (15-12, 4-7). The Vikings somehow nursed a slim lead for the last 27 minutes of the game, and Modesto PG Chris Teevan's last-second 3-point shot hit the backboard and rim before bouncing out.
On a night when no DVC starter scored in double figures, Rushing came off the bench to score 15 pts and May delivered 14 pts and 4 asts for the Vikings. Rushing was especially key, with Ctr Brandon Allen spending much of the first half on the bench in foul trouble.
Modesto held a 21-14 lead when Allen picked up his 2nd foul of the night and went to the bench with 8:30 left in the first half. But behind the strong play of Rushing and May, DVC then went on a 10-0 run, taking a 24-21 lead on May's third 3-pointer of the night with just over 7 minutes left in the half.
And somehow, DVC held that lead the rest of the way. Modesto trimmed the lead to a single point multiple times, DVC had just a 3-point lead at halftime, and Modesto was again within a point in the final seconds, but the Pirates never quite pulled even.
A 3-pointer by SF Brian Bergerson brought MJC within a point at 26-25. A conventional 3-point play by Teevan again brought the Pirates within a point at 29-28. And after DVC pushed out to a 35-29 lead late in the first half after five straight points by Rushing, Bergerson drained another three in the final seconds to make it 35-32 at the break.
In the second half, DVC got a 3-point play from Allen and a short jumper by SF Ron White to increase its lead to 8 at 40-32. Modesto reduced that margin to just 3 points after a 3-pointer by Bergerson and a jumper by PF Kevin Dupree, but DVC started to pull away, building a 10-point lead at 56-46 on a 3-pointer by PF Anthony Turner with 8 minutes left.
Modesto, however, fought back, closing the margin to 5 points at 56-51 after a Teevan three with 6:30 left. And the Pirates kept chipping away at the margin, reducing it to 4 points on a basket by Ctr Marvin Jefferson with 3:27 left and to 3 points on a 3-pointer by Jefferson - his first of the entire season - with 1:10 remaining.
Diablo Valley tried to use the clock to its advantage, but as the shot clock wound down, SG Eleazar Jones stole the ball for the Pirates with 32 seconds left. After a timeout, Modesto got a basket from Jefferson on a dish from Bergerson to cut the Diablo Valley lead to a single point at 61-60 with 10 seconds left.
When DVC got the ball inbounds, Modesto fouled immediately, sending PG Gary Pinkney to the line with 7.0 seconds left. The Pasadena HS grad calmly drained a pair of free throws to make it 63-60.
Still, Modesto had one last chance to tie the game, and that is nearly what happened. On the restart, DVC used its final foul to give with 4.3 seconds left. Then the Pirates inbounded the ball in the backcourt, with Bergerson getting the ball to Teevan near his own free throw line.
DVC chose not to foul Teevan (a foul would have sent him to the line for 2 shots with his team down by 3 points), and the sophomore point guard weaved through the Viking defense. His shot from the top of the key just ahead of the horn bounced off the front rim and the backboard before falling to the floor, allowing DVC to escape with the win.
DVC got the win despite having no starter reach double figures in scoring. SG Antonio Flaggs had 9 points while Allen, Pinkney and Turner each had 7. White had just 4 pts but dished out a game-high 7 asts. Turner pulled down a game-high 9 rebs.
For Modesto, Bergerson had a game-high 21 pts, including 5 threes, and 6 rebs. Jefferson added 18 pts and 5 blocked shots. Teevan had 11 pts, 5 rebs and 6 asts for the Pirates.
Box score
Tuesday, February 12, 2008 - 6 pm
at Modesto Junior College
Big 8 Conference
Diablo Valley Vikings 63
15-Gary Pinkney, PG 2/3 fg, 2/3 ft, 1 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 7 pts
23-Antonio Flaggs, SG 2/4 fg, 3/4 ft, 1 pf, 9 pts
24-Ron White, SF 2/7 fg, 4 reb, 7 ast, 3 stl, 3 pf, 4 pts
32-Brandon Adams, C 2/8 fg, 3/5 ft, 6 reb, 2 pf, 7 pts
34-Anthony Turner, PF 3/12 fg, 0/1 ft, 9 reb, 2 ast, 1 pf, 7 pts
31-Antonio Rushing, F 7/9 fg, 0/2 ft, 1 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl, 2 pf, 15 pts
21-Brandon May, G 5/8 fg, 1/2 ft, 3 reb, 4 ast, 2 pf, 14 pts
33-Brandon Slabach, F 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 0 pts
team rebounds: 4
Totals: 23/52 fg (.442), 9/17 ft (.529), 28 reb, 15 ast, 1 blk, 7 stl, 13 pf, 63 pts
3-pt fg (8): May 3, Flaggs 2, Pinkney, Turner, Rushing
Turnovers (13): Pinkney 3, Flaggs 3, White 2, May 2, Adams, Turner, team
Modesto Pirates 60:
12-Chris Teevan, PG 3/5 fg, 4/5 ft, 5 reb, 6 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 11 pts
24-Eleazar Jones, SG 2/10 fg, 1 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 1 pf, 6 pts
32-Josh Ary, PF 0/1 fg, 2 ast, 2 blk, 2 stl, 1 pf, 0 pts
33-Brian Bergerson, SF 8/13 fg, 6 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 21 pts
53-Marvin Jefferson, C 8/13 fg, 1/3 ft, 3 reb, 2 ast, 5 blk, 1 stl, 4 pf, 18 pts
15-Elliot Barker, F 0/3 fg, 8 reb, 2 pf, 0 pts
14-Abram Dukes, G 1 ast, 0 pts
4-Andrew Chipponeri, G 1 pf , 0 pts
23-Kevin Dupree, F 2/2 fg, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 4 pts
team rebounds: 3
Totals: 23/47 fg (.489), 5/8 ft (.625), 30 reb, 15 ast, 7 blk, 8 stl, 13 pf, 60 pts
3-pt fg (9): Bergerson 5, Jones 2, Teevan, Jefferson
Turnovers (20): Teevan 6, Bergerson 6, Jefferson 3, Chipponeri 2, Ary, Barker, Dupree
Halftime Score: Diablo Valley 35, Modesto 32
Updated Records: Diablo Valley 22-7 (#4-North, #9-Calif) 22-7 overall, 9-1 in conference;
Modesto 15-12 overall, 4-7 in conference
MJC led by 7 at 21-14 but a 10-0 DVC run put the Vikings on top and they nursed that lead the rest of the way. But MJC trailed by just 1 until 2 Pinkney FTs made it 63-60 with 7 secs left.
Teevans last-second 3-pt attempt hit the rim and the backboard before bouncing out.
