Four players scored in double figures, two posting double-doubles, as College of the Desert held off a late rally from host Rio Hondo to post an 82-73 victory in the Battle of the Roadrunners Friday night in Whittier in a Foothill Conference game.
SG Antoine Davis and PG Nico Matthews each had 16 pts to lead Desert (3-18, 3-5), which went on a 24-5 run in the first half to seemingly take control of the game. The COD lead reached 18 points late in the half, but Rio Hondo (8-12, 3-5) cut the deficit to 11 points at halftime and to five points in the final two minutes before Desert held on for the win.
Neither team led by more than two points in the first ten minutes, and Rio Hondo had a 13-11 lead before Desert’s 24-5 run. Matthews hit five straight shots during the run, including a jumper that made it 26-16 and back-to-back 3-pointers that made it 35-18 with 4:27 left. Desert’s lead would eventually reach 18 points at 40-22 after a basket by PF DeJuan Lewis with just over two minutes left in the first half.
Rio Hondo went on an 8-0 spurt after that, however, cutting the margin to 10 points before a free throw by Lewis gave COD a 41-30 lead at the break. Rio Hondo continued its rally in the second half, getting within seven points at 43-36 after a steal & basket by SG Darryl Alexander early in the second half.
Desert maintained its lead after that, pushing the margin out to as many as 15 points a couple of times, including a 70-55 lead with just under eight minutes left in the game.
Rio Hondo scored the game’s next seven points to cut the margin to eight at 70-62 after a driving lay-up by SF Trayvon McNutt with just under six minutes left. A short jumper by Ctr DeWayne O’Neal made it a 6-point game at 72-66 with 4:02 left. A jumper from the top of the key by Alexander brought Rio Hondo within five points at 76-71 with 1:35 left.
Davis scored on a driving lay-up to push Desert’s lead back to seven at 78-71 with 1:22 left. But PG Nathan Mohri made a pair of free throws for Rio Hondo to again make it a five-point game at 78-73 with 1:19 left. Rio Hondo got the ball back in the final minute with the score still 78-73, and Alexander had a good look on a 3-pointer from the top of the key that would have made it a two-point game, but his shot rattled out and into the hands of COD Ctr Connor Madden.
That all but ended the rally. Madden got the ball to Davis, who was fouled and made a pair of free throws with 21.9 seconds left to make it 80-73, with Alexander fouling out for Rio Hondo on that play. Anthony Gilchrist added two more free throws for Desert with 9.1 seconds left to account for the game’s final two points.
Davis finished with 16 pts plus 4 rebs, 3 asts, 2 blocks and 6 steals for COD, while Matthews also had 16 pts and added 4 rebs and 4 asts. Lewis came off the bench for 15 pts and 12 rebs, and PF Deonte Taylor also had a double-double with 13 pts and 12 rebs. Madden and Gilchrist each had 9 pts and 5 rebs.
For Rio Hondo, O’Neal was outstanding, posting game-highs of 26 pts and 3 rebs and also grabbing a team-best 4 steals. Alexander had 13 pts, all in the second half, and PF Ryan Jefferson had 12 pts. Mohri came off the bench for 7 pts and a game-high 5 asts.
The win improves Desert’s official record to 3-18 on the season and 3-5 in the Foothill Conference, though COD had to forfeit 8 wins and has also lost 6 games by six points or less. Rio Hondo falls to 8-12 overall and 3-5 in the Foothill Conference.
box score
Friday, January 29, 2010 – 7 pm
at Rio Hondo College, Whittier
Foothill Conference
Desert Roadrunners 82:
1-Deonte Taylor, PF – 5/13 fg, 2/2 ft, 12 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk, 1 stl, 1 pf, 13 pts
2-Antoine Davis, SG – 4/6 fg, 8/13 ft, 4 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk, 6 stl, 2 pf, 16 pts
20-Nico Matthews, PG – 6/10 fg, 1/2 fg, 4 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 16 pts
32-Prince Newman, SF – 1/5 fg, 1 ast, 2 pf, 2 pts
44-Connor Madden, C – 4/10 fg, 1/1 ft, 5 reb, 1 blk, 4 pf, 9 pts
15-Anthony Gilchrist, F – 3/5 fg, 2/2 ft, 5 reb, 1 ast, 4 pf, 9 pts
22-Nick Cook, G – 1/4 fg, 1 ast, 1 pf, 2 pts
42-Jonathan Kaker, F – 0/2 fg, 1 reb, 1 blk, 2 pf, 0 pts
4-DeJuan Lewis, F – 6/9 fg, 3/6 ft, 12 reb, 1 stl, 5 pf, 15 pts
11-Doug Matkins, F – 0/1 fg, 0 pts
team rebounds: 6
Totals: 30/65 fg (.462), 17/26 ft (.654), 49 reb, 13 ast, 6 blk, 9 stl, 25 pf, 82 pts
3-pt fg (5): Matthews 3, Taylor, Gilchrist
Technical Foul: Newman
Fouled Out: Lewis 2:18 left
Turnovers (20): Taylor 8, Davis 5, Lewis 3, Matthews 2, Madden, Cook
Rio Hondo Roadrunners 73:
3-MauriceCole, PG – 1/2 fg, 1 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 1 pf, 2 pts
11-Darryl Alexander, SG – 4/14 fg, 4/5 ft, 4 reb, 1 blk, 2 stl, 5 pf, 13 pts
24-Trayvon McNutt, SF – 3/8 fg, 2/4 ft, 4 reb, 3 pf, 8 pts
50-DeWayne O'Neal, C - 9/18 fg, 8/10 ft, 13 reb, 2 blk, 4 stl, 1 pf, 26 pts
55-Ryan Jefferson, PF - 4/17 fg, 4/4 ft, 5 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 2 stl, 5 pf, 12 pts
33-Jacob Garcia, F - 0/2 fg, 3/6 ft, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 3 pts
2-Nathan Mohri, G - 1/3 fg, 5/6 ft, 2 reb, 5 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 2 pf, 7 pts
44-Jacob McCoy, F - 1 ast, 1 pf, 0 pts
5-Alex Villacis, G - 1 ast, 2 stl, 1 pf, 0 pts
32-Willie Duff, F - 1/4 fg, 2 reb, 1 ast, 2 pts
22-Steven Steward, G - 0/1 fg, 0 pts
team rebounds: 8
Totals: 23/69 fg (.333), 26/35 ft (.743), 42 reb, 13 ast, 7 blk, 13 stl, 21 pf, 73 pts
3-pt fg (1): Alexander
Technical Foul: Alexander
Fouled Out: Alexander 21.9 seconds left, Jefferson 9.1 seconds left
Turnovers (18): O'Neal 5, Jefferson 5, Cole 2, Mohri 2, McCoy 2, McNutt, Duff
Halftime Score: Desert 41, Rio Hondo 30
Updated Records: Desert 3-18 overall, 3-5 in conf (8 forfeit losses); Rio Hondo 8-12 overall, 3-5 in conf
COD led 40-22 after a 24-5 run. RHC got within 5 in the last 2 mins and an Alexander three rimmed out in the final minute. Then Davis & Gilchrist each made 2 FTs in the last 21.9 secs left to seal the win.
