PG Gino Riney posted a triple-double while Ctr Shaun Johnson and SF Germel Coleman scored 21 and 19 pts, respectively, to lead #13 LA Valley to an 82-65 win over visiting #20 Long Beach Wednesday night in Valley Glen.
Riney had 10 pts, 10 asts and 14 rebs for the Monarchs, who led from the opening minutes and were never really threatened in the second half. Johnson had a huge inside game with 21 pts, 15 rebs and 4 blocks, while Coleman also had a double-double with 19 pts and 11 rebs.
Long Beach led, 6-2, in the games opening minutes behind six early points from PF Matt Richard. After Valley took a 7-6 lead on a baseline drive by PF Ron Holden, Richard scored again for the Vikings to put them back in front, 8-7.
But that would be Long Beachs final lead of the game. Valley scored the next 7 points to take a 14-8 lead, and pushed the margin to 8 points at 21-13 midway through the first half.
Late in the half, the margin reached double figures after a 2-pointer by PG Michel Nmvoya made it 36-24 with 3:15 left. Then a pair of baskets by Johnson, the first on an assist from Riney and the second on an assist by Nmvoya after a steal by Riney, pushed the margin to 16 at 40-24. A 3-pointer in the final seconds of the half by Valley SG Chris Horstman gave the Monarchs a 43-26 lead at the break.
Valley pushed its lead to 21 early in the second half after a Holden 3-pointer made it 48-27. Long Beach then cut the margin to 15 after a pair of 3-pointers by PG Vance Lawrence made it 64-49 with 10:40 left.
But Long Beach never got the lead down to single digits. Another pair of Lawrence threes got the Vikings to within 11 at 70-59 with 5:15 left, but that would be as close as they would get. They still trailed by 11 at 74-63 when Coleman and SG Codie Kemp each made a pair of free throws to push the Monarch lead back to 15 and clinch the win.
Lawrence led all scorers with 30 pts, including 7 threes, 8 rebs and 4 steals but finished the game just 11-for-34 from the field. Richard cooled down after the hot start, missing his last 8 shots of the first half, but still finished with 16 pts, 7 rebs and 7 asts. But no other Viking reached double figures, and Long Beach finished the night with a 32% mark from the floor. Ctr Shawntell Norman managed 9 points and 5 rebs off the bench.
With the win, Valley (18-11) advances to the next round and will face #4 seed Ventura Saturday night. Valley defeated the Pirates, 100-94, November 28th at Valley Glen.
Long Beach City finishes 17-16.
Box score
Wednesday, February 27, 2008 7 pm
at the Monarch Sports Pavilion, Valley Glen
Playoffs Mini-Round
Long Beach Vikings 65:
1-Vance Lawrence, PG 11/34 fg, 1/2 ft, 8 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl, 3 pf, 30 pts
4-Tyler Mitchell, SG 1/6 fg, 2 ast, 2 pf, 3 pts
5-Ian Pinckney, SF 1/6 fg, 2/4 ft, 5 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 4 pts
11-Matt Richard, PF 7/20 fg, 1/2 ft, 7 reb, 7 ast, 2 blk, 1 stl, 3 pf, 16 pts
44-Wynton Johnson, C 1/2 ft, 1 reb, 3 stl, 2 pf, 1 pt
2-Brian Maddox, G 0/2 fg, 2 reb, 1 ast, 2 pf, 0 pts
31-Adrian Davis, G 0/2 fg, 1 stl, 1 pf, 0 pts
50-Shawntell Norman, C 3/3 fg, 3/4 ft, 5 reb, 1 blk, 2 pf, 9 pts
52-Dexter Williams, F 1/2 fg, 3 reb, 1 pf, 2 pts
team rebounds: 6
Totals: 24/75 fg (.320), 8/14 ft (.571), 37 reb, 14 ast, 3 blk, 10 stl, 20 pf, 65 pts
3-pt fg (9): Lawrence 7, Mitchell, Richard
Turnovers (10): Richard 4, Lawrence 3, Pinckney 2, Williams
LA Valley Monarchs 82:
21-Ron Holden, PF 3/8 fg, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 7 pts
23-Germel Coleman, SF 5/13 fg, 8/8 ft, 11 reb, 2 ast, 2 pf, 19 pts
24-Codie Kemp, SG 2/5 fg, 2/2 ft, 2 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl, 1 pf, 6 pts
31-Shaun Johnson, C 8/11 fg, 5/11 ft, 15 reb, 4 blk, 4 pf, 21 pts
32-Gino Riney, PG 4/12 fg, 1/2 ft, 14 reb, 10 ast, 2 blk, 3 stl, 1 pf, 10 pts
3-Demetrius Malone, F 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 1 pf, 0 pts
33-Chris Horstman, G 4/7 fg, 2 reb, 2 pf, 11 pts
22-Michael Nmvoya, G 3/5 fg, 1/2 ft, 2 reb, 2 ast, 1 pf, 8 pts
40-Chris Lenik, C 0/3 fg, 3 reb, 1 pf, 0 pts
team rebounds: 2
Totals: 29/65 fg (.446), 17/25 ft (.680), 56 reb, 17 ast, 7 blk, 6 stl, 16 pf, 82 pts
3-pt fg (7): Horstman 3, Holden, Coleman, Riney, Nmvoya
Turnovers (17): Coleman 5, Holden 3, Horstman 3, Johnson 2, Riney 2, Malone, Nmvoya
Halftime Score: LA Valley 43, Long Beach 26
Updated Records: LA Valley (#13-seed) 18-11, Long Beach (#20-seed) 17-16
