PF Marcos Castrillo scored on a third-chance tip-in with 5 seconds left to lift #15 Merritt to a dramatic 63-62 win over #18 American River in the first round of the playoffs Wednesday night in Oakland.
It was a fitting conclusion to the night for Merritt (15-12) as the Thunderbirds neither shot well (29.7%) nor handled the ball all that well (9 assists, 17 turnovers) but kept battling and found a way to grind out a playoff victory.
American River (12-14) had a chance to answer, but PG Chris Carvin's Tony Parker-like teardrop floater from the lane missed in the final seconds. PF Brandon Hoston attempted a tip-in of his own off that shot, but it missed and was probably after the final horn anyway.
That was just the final chapter of an intensely-played showdown between two very evenly-matched teams. Merritt had a double-digit lead in each half, but American River built a 57-52 advantage with just under six minutes to play. Merritt got six straight points from SF Delvon Nisby to re-take the lead, and the advantage went back and forth after that until Castrillo's game-winning putback.
Merritt had the ball in the frontcourt coming out of a timeout with 11 seconds left and trailing, 62-61. When play resumed, Castrillo took the inbounds pass and drove to the basket for a lay-up, which missed. SF Jalil Eppenger tried to score on the putback, but his shot also missed. However, Castrillo had battled back in position in front of the basket, and he got another chance. And he managed to tip Eppenger's miss back in for the winning shot.
Merritt built double-digit leads in each half, holding a 36-25 lead just before halftime and a 40-30 advantage early in the second half. But American River went on a 15-2 run to take a 45-42 lead with just under 13 minutes left in the game. Merritt went back in front, 52-50, on a free throw by PG Joshua Amey with 8:31 left following a steal by Eppenger.
American River answered with a 7-0 spurt, tying the score on a basket by Hoston and re-taking the lead on a putback slam by Hoston moments later. A 3-pointer by SF Adaku Anumu made it 57-52 with just under 6 minutes to go.
Nisby got Merritt back in front with six straight points. His 3-pointer from the left wing made it 57-55. On the Thunderbirds' next trip down the floor, he tried another 3-pointer from the same spot and was fouled. He made all three free throws to give Merritt a 60-59 lead with 3:04 left.
American River tied the score on a free throw by Carvin with 1:46 remaining. Then Ctr Chad Haysbert made two free throws with 54 seconds left to give American River a 62-60 lead. Nisby split two free throws for Merritt with 26 seconds left to make it 62-61, but his second shot rolled around the rim and out. Merritt had no choice but to foul and sent Carvin to the line with 18 seconds left. But he missed both of his shots, allowing Merritt to take the lead on the Castrillo tip-in.
For Merritt, Nisby led all scorers, coming off the bench in a 6th man role and tallying 21 points, including 3 three-pointers. G Marcus Green had 12 pts, all in the first half and mostly from the free throw line. Castrillo had 9 pts and 7 rebs. Amey had just the one free throw but dished out 6 asts.
For American River, Haysbert had a strong game with 16 pts, 9 rebs, 4 blocks and 4 steals. SF Jarvis Watkins had 12 pts and Anumu came off the bench for 10. Hoston had 6 pts and a game-high 11 rebs. Carvin had 5 pts, 6 asts and a game-high 5 steals.
The win advances Merritt to the regional quarterfinal, and they will play at #2-seed Fresno City on Saturday. American River finishes 12-14.
Full story sometime Thurs
box score
Wednesday, February 27, 2013 - 7 pm
at The Thunderdome, Merritt College, Oakland
Playoffs - First Round
American River Beavers 62:
1-Chris Carvin, PG - 2/6 fg, 1/4 ft, 4 reb, 6 ast, 5 stl, 1 pf, 5 pts
20-Brandon Hoston, PF - 2/10 fg, 2/2 ft, 11 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 4 pf, 6 pts
22-Mardell Thompson, SG - 4/7 fg, 1/3 ft, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 3 pf, 9 pts
23-Jarvis Watkins, SF - 4/8 fg, 4/8 ft, 4 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 2 pf, 12 pts
42-Chad Haysbert, C - 6/10 fg, 4/7 ft, 9 reb, 1 ast, 4 blk, 4 stl, 16 pts
11-Emile Gholar, F - 1/4 fg, 0/1 ft, 7 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 2 pts
15-Adaku Anumu, F - 4/11 fg, 1 reb, 1 stl, 2 pf, 10 pts
5-Caleb King, G - 0/1 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 reb, 1 ast, 2 pts
3-Khalil Ray, G - 0/1 fg, 2 reb, 2 pf, 0 pts
team rebounds: 4
Totals: 23/58 fg (.397), 14/27 ft (.519), 46 reb, 14 ast, 7 blk, 12 stl, 15 pf, 62 pts
3-pt fg (2): Anumu 2
Turnovers (19): Carvin 7, Hoston 5, Gholar 2, Anumu 2, Thompson, Watkins, Haysbert
Merritt Thunderbirds 63:
1-Joshua Amey, PG - 0/5 fg, 1/2 ft, 5 reb, 6 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 1 pt
4-Eric Nelson, C - 2/6 fg, 2 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 2 stl, 2 pf, 4 pts
11-Jalil Eppenger, SF - 1/9 fg, 3 reb., 1 blk, 2 stl, 1 pf, 3 pts
21-Marcos Castrillo, PF - 4/7 fg, 1/1 ft, 7 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl, 1 pf, 9 pts
22-Anthony Knight, SG - 2/11 fg, 2/2 ft, 4 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl, 2 pf, 6 pts
0-Delvon Nisby, F - 7/16 fg, 4/6 ft, 2 reb, 1 stl, 1 pf, 21 pts
24-Marcus Green, G - 1/3 fg, 10/11 ft, 5 reb, 1 stl, 2 pf, 12 pts
34-Douglas Anderson, C - 1/3 fg, 1/2 ft, 6 reb, 1 stl, 1 pf, 3 pts
32-Chris Patterson, F - 1/4 fg, 2/2 ft, 8 reb, 1 blk, 2 pf, 4 pts
team rebounds: 3
Totals: 19/64 fg (.297), 21/26 ft (.808), 45 reb, 9 ast, 6 blk, 11 stl, 16 pf, 63 pts
3-pt fg (4): Nisby 3, Eppenger
Turnovers (17): Amey 4, Knight 3, Eppenger 2, Green 2, Patterson 2, Nelson, Castrillo, Nisby, Anderson
Halftime Score: Merritt 36, American River 27
Updated Records: Merritt (#15-seed) 15-12, American River (#18-seed) 12-14
Merritt led by 11 (36-25) in the 1st half and by 10 (40-30) early in the 2nd.
American River went on a 15-2 run to lead 45-42. Merritt went back in front, 52-50.
Then American River went on a 7-0 spurt to lead 57-52 with under 6 minutes left.
Castrillo's 3rd-chance tip-in with 5 seconds left won it for Merritt.
Carvin's teardrop try in the final seconds missed, and Hoston's putback was short and after the horn.
