PF Codye Hatcher knocked the ball free, was fouled and made a pair of free throws with 21.7 seconds left to lift #11 LA Pierce to a 75-73 win over #9 Allan Hancock and a share of the WSC-North title for the first time since the program was brought back over a decade ago Saturday night in Woodland Hills.
In a game in which neither team led by more than six points and the lead went back and forth numerous times in the final seven-plus minutes, Pierce (19-8, 8-2) got the key play of the game from Hatcher, one of several players who came over to the Brahmas with coach Jason Cunningham, now a Pierce assistant, when Oxnard College discontinued its basketball program after last season.
Allan Hancock (20-8, 7-3), which ten days ago seemed to take control of the WSC-North race with a 76-71 win at Ventura, was clinging to a 73-72 lead and the ball. Then Hatcher knocked the ball free from PF Demetrius Thomas. In the scramble for the loose ball, Thomas was called for a foul, his 5th of the night. And with 21.7 seconds left on the clock, Hatcher made the two resulting free throws to put Pierce in front, 74-73.
Of course, there was still time left on the clock. Hancock got the ball to SF Khufu Najee, but his jumper from the right elbow grazed the outside of the front rim. Pierce SF Victor Evans ended up with the loose ball and was fouled with 4.4 seconds left. Evans made the first of two free throws to make it 75-73, but missed the second. AHC Ctr Seth Kena got the rebound with 3.2 seconds left. After a timeout, AHC got the ball to Najee about 25 feet from the basket but the final horn sounded before he could get a shot away.
That was just the final act of a most dramatic game. As both teams entered 7-2 in division play, a share of the title was on the line, and both teams were in excellent form from the opening tip.
Hancock took an 11-6 lead after a lay-up by SG Devonne Nolan about five minutes into the game, and pushed its lead to 18-12 after a steal & dunk by Najee a few minutes later. But that would be Hancock's largest lead of the game.
Pierce rallied to take a 25-24 lead on a basket by SF Terrel Funches off a pass from PG J.R. Williams with just under five minutes left in the first half. The lead went back and forth the rest of the half, with Pierce holding a 36-34 lead at the break.
When the second half began, Hancock tied the game on two free throws by PG Leron Fisher. Hatcher, who began the game on the bench for Pierce, also began the second half on the bench. But just 52 seconds into the second half he was back on the floor.
And he made an immediate impact for the Brahmas. First, he threw an outlet pass to SG Donte Williams after a rebound that resulted in a lay-up to put Pierce back in front, 38-36. Then he threw down a dunk off a pass from Evans. Finally he scored on a putback to give Pierce a 42-36 lead.
That would prove to be Pierce's largest lead of the game, and it lasted just a few minutes. Hancock tied the game at 52 when Thomas scored on a dunk of a fast break off a pass from Najee with 12:14 left.
After that, the lead changed hands eight different times, with neither team leading by more than two points until Hancock took a 71-67 lead with 2:45 left. But Donte Williams answered with a 3-pointer just 33 seconds later, and Funches put Pierce in front, 72-71 on a lay-up with 49.8 seconds to go. Nolan made two free throws for Hancock with 44.4 seconds left to give the Bulldogs a lead, but those would be the final points of the night for Hancock after Hatcher's steal and free throws.
For Pierce, Hatcher had a team-high 19 pts and a game-high 15 rebs. Donte Williams had 17 pts and Funches had 16. J.R. Williams had 8 pts and a game-high 10 asts. Ctr Charles Honest had just 4 pts but grabbed 11 rebs, helping Pierce to a commanding 52-28 rebounding advantage for the game.
For Hancock, Thomas had 23 pts, including 3 threes, and 7 rebs. Najee had 15 pts and Nolan had 13 pts plus a team-high 6 asts and 3 steals. Ctr Josh Varney had 10 pts and a team-high 8 rebs before fouling out with 1:50 remaining.
With the win, Pierce ties with Ventura for the WSC-North championship, gaining a share of the division title for the first time since the program was brought back in 2002. Hancock finishes with losses to Cuesta and Pierce after what looked like the key win at Ventura, but will still be in contention for a home playoff game next weekend.
box score
Saturday, February 23, 2013 - 5 pm
at Pierce College, Woodland Hills
WSC-North
Allan Hancock Bulldogs 73:
1-Khufu Najee, SF - 5/15 fg, 5/5 ft, 2 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 15 pts
2-Leron Fisher, PG - 1/5 fg, 4/4 ft, 4 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl, 3 pf, 6 pts
3-Devonne Nolan, SG - 3/8 fg, 7/8 ft, 1 reb, 6 ast, 3 stl, 1 pf, 13 pts
32-Demetrius Thomas, PF - 8/14 fg, 4/6 ft, 7 reb, 1 stl, 5 pf, 23 pts
33-Josh Varney, C - 5/9 fg, 8 reb, 2 blk, 5 pf, 10 pts
24-Junior Anderson, G - 0/2 f, 1 pf, 0 pts
21-Seth Kena, C - 0/1 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 reb, 1 pf, 2 pts
22-Marquis Rivera, F - 0/1 ft, 1 pf, 0 pts
23-Brian Vignaud, F - 1 reb, 1 pf, 0 pts
10-Gary Dysart, G - 1/1 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 reb, 4 pts
11-Rijo Jackson, G - 0 pts
taem rebounds: 3
Totals: 23/55 fg (.418), 24/28 ft (.857), 28 reb, 11 ast, 2 blk, 10 stl, 18 pf, 73 pts
3-pt fg (3): Thomas 3
Fouled Out: Varney 1:03 left, Thomas 21.7 seconds left
Turnovers (10): Thomas 4, Najee 2, Fisher, Nolan, Varney, Anderson
LA Pierce Brahmas 75:
1-J.R. Williams, PG - 3/12 fg, 1/2 ft, 2 reb, 10 ast, 4 pf, 8 pts
3-Donte Williams, SG - 6/12 fg, 4/6 ft, 4 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 17 pts
13-Victor Evans, SF - 3/12 fg, 1/2 ft, 9 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 7 pts
21-Micheal Claus, F - 0/2 fg, 1 reb, 5 pf, 0 pts
34-Charles Honest, C - 1/4 fg, 2/2 ft, 11 reb, 1 pf, 4 pts
25-Terrel Funches, F - 7/10 fg, 2/4 ft, 3 reb, 1 blk, 2 pf, 16 pts
23-Codye Hatcher, F - 8/12 fg, 3/5 ft, 15 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 2 pf, 19 pts
15-Bobby Johnson, C - 1/1 fg, 1 pf, 2 pts
32-Andre Smith, C - 1/2 fg, 0/2 ft, 4 reb, 1 blk, 1 pf, 2 pts
24-Myles Mungcal, G - 0 pts
team rebounds: 3
Totals: 30/67 fg (.448), 13/23 ft (.565), 52 reb, 16 ast, 3 blk, 4 stl, 20 pf, 75 pts
3-pt fg (2): J.Williams, D.Williams
Fouled Out: Claus 1:50 left
Turnovers (19): J.Williams 4, Evans 4, Funches 3, D.Williams 2, Claus 2, Honest 2, Hatcher, Johnson
Halftime Score: LA Pierce 36, Allan Hancock 34
Updated Records: LA Pierce (#11-South) 19-8 overall, 8-2 in WSC-North; Allan Hancock (#9-South, #18-Calif) 20-9 overall, 7-3 in WSC-North
Neither team led by more than 6 points at any point in the game.
With AHC aheaad, 73-72, Hatcher knocked the ball loose from Thomas, was fouled and made 2 FTs.
AHC had two more chances but Najee's shot was short and AHC was unable to get a final shot away.
This win gives Pierce a share of the WSC-N title for the first time since the program was brought back in 2002.
