It was closer than many observers expected, but in the end #1-ranked Fresno (32-0) had another win and took another step towards becoming the first California team to finish the season undefeated since the Jerry Tarkanian-led Riverside teams of the early 1960’s with a 114-103 win over #6 seed (south) Ventura (25-5) in the opening round of the state tourney.
Fresno’s pressure usually results in a lot of turnovers for the opposition and a lot of 3-point baskets for the Rams, but Ventura managed to keep those aspects of the game under control with just 16 turnovers (Fresno had 20) and just 8 3-pointers for Fresno. But the Rams rebounded the ball with intensity (holding a 47-35 edge) and made almost all of their free throws (22/24 for the day), preventing Ventura from ever getting a chance to make a late comeback. After Ventura led by 9 late in the first half, Fresno rallied to take a 60-57 lead at intermission and though they could never really put the Pirates away, FCC led the entire second half.
Early on, Ventura did a good job not only of running with Fresno but even getting the better of things. After PF Jordan Farley scored a FG+FT 3-point play and then knocked down a 3-point FG to give Fresno a 14-8 lead, Ventura rallied to take a 21-20 lead after a FG+FT by PF Moses Gonzalez. Ventura then held the lead for the next several minutes, pushing their margin to 9 at 47-38 after a basket by PG Jonathan Davis with just under 5 minutes left in the half.
But then came a patented Fresno surge. PG M’Jumbe Williams erased most of the deficit almost singlehandedly with a pair of threes and a long (2-point) jumper to make it 49-47 Ventura. The Pirates continued to lead for a little while longer, but then Bubba Tolliver came up with a steal, basket and free throw to again cut the lead to 1 at 53-52. Then he scored on a driving lay-up to make it 54-53, giving Fresno a lead it would hold the rest of the way. A putback basket by Farley in the half’s final seconds made it 60-57 at the break.
In the second half, Fresno threatened to pull away several times, but the stubborn Pirates refused to wilt under the pressure. A three by SG Geoffrey Clayton gave Fresno a 70-59 lead, and the Rams pushed their lead to 15 at 76-61 a short time later. But the Pirates fought back, closing the gap to 5 at 87-82 after a three by SG David Van Someren with 9:54 left. But Fresno never relinquished the lead, pushing their margin back to 11 after a basket by Clayton and a pair of field goals by Williams.
Ventura put together a rally to close the gap to 7 at 99-92 after a basket by SF Charles Dillon with just under 7 minutes left only to see Clayton score a pair of baskets to restore Fresno’s double-digit lead at 103-92. But then Ventura rallied again, cutting the lead to 7 at 103-96 after a pair of baskets by Ctr Gary Nunez with just under 4 minutes left. And a slam by SF Danny Mena cut the margin to 5 at 103-98 with 2:43 to play. Fresno answered back with a reverse lay-up by Farley to make it 105-98, and after a turnover by Gonzalez, Clayton was fouled and made two free throws to make it a 9-point lead for Fresno.
But Ventura wasn’t done quite yet. Another three by Van Someren made it 107-101 with 1:32 left. And then Ventura got the ball back with under a minute left with a chance to make it a one-possession game. But Fresno’s Farley deflected a pass to Clayton for the steal. The ball went to PF Anthony Esparza, but Ventura had no alternative but to foul Fresno’s sweet-shooting big man. Esparza predictably made both free throws. But Van Someren kept Ventura’s hopes alive with a coast-to-coast lay-up that made it 109-103 with 30.1 seconds left.
After that, Ventura had no alternative but to foul whoever had the ball for Fresno. And that strategy resulted in the Rams putting the game away at the line. First Esparza made two more free throws. Then, after Ventura failed to score, PG Kenji Rocket fouled Williams with 22.2 seconds left. Williams made both free throws, making it a 10-point game and clinching the outcome for the Rams. For the game, Fresno made 22 of 24 free throws. Their two misses were one by Tolliver midway through the first half and one by Clayton with 12.8 seconds left and the outcome of the game no longer in doubt.
For the Rams, Clayton and Esparza each scored 24 pts while Williams and Farley each added 20. Farley led Fresno with 11 rebs, while Clayton and Williams each dished out 4 asts. The win sends Fresno into the state semifinals against Saddleback, an overtime winner vs. West Valley and the 2002 California state champions.
For Ventura, Nunez had a spectacular game with 30 pts and 15 rebs, which is particularly amazing considering how Fresno’s pace often takes opposing big men out of their comfort zone. Gonzalez had a strong all-around game with 21 pts, 7 rebs and a game-high 7 asts. Van Someren added 14 pts and Dillon had 12. Backup forward Danny Mena had a solid game with 9 pts and 9 boards. And PG Kenji Rocket had perhaps his best game as a Pirate with 11 pts and 6 asts.
box score
Thursday, March 10, 2005 - 5 pm
at the Jenny Craig Pavilion, Univ. of San Diego
State Quarterfinal #3
Ventura Pirates 114:
21-Charles Dillon, SF - 5/15 fg, 2/4 ft, 1 reb, 6 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl, 12 pts
22-Moses Gonzalez, PF - 10/16 fg, 1/1 ft, 7 reb, 7 ast, 2 stl, 21 pts
32-Jonathan Davis, PG - 3/5 fg, 6 ast, 3 stl, 6 pts
34-Gary Nunez, C - 15/21 fg, 15 reb, 2 ast, 3 blk, 30 pts
41-David Van Someren, SG - 6/12 fg, 1 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl, 14 pts
10-Kenji Rocket, G - 4/9 fg, 3/4 ft, 6 ast, 2 stl, 11 pts
25-Danny Mena, F - 4/5 fg, 1/3 ft, 9 reb, 3 ast, 9 pts
11-Ali Hinds, F - 0 pts
team rebounds: 2
Totals: 47/83 fg (.566), 7/12 ft (.583), 35 reb, 31 ast, 4 blk, 12 stl, 103 pts
3-pt fg (2): Van Someren 2
Technical Foul: Coach Winslow
Fouled Out: Rocket 22.2 secs left, Gonzalez 12.8 secs left
Turnovers (16): Dillon 3, Davis 3, Rocket 3, Gonzalez 2, Van Someren 2, Mena 2, Nunez
Fresno Rams 114:
1-Reggie Butler, C - 1/5 fg, 5 reb, 1 stl, 2 pts
3-McClennon (Bubba) Tolliver, SG - 5/10 fg, 4/5 ft, 2 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 14 pts
10-Adrian Sanchez, SF - 2/3 fg, 2 reb, 1 ast, 6 pts
23-M'Jumbe Williams, PG - 8/15 fg, 2/2 ft, 2 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 20 pts
30-Anthony Esparza, PF - 8/12 fg, 8/8 ft, 7 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 24 pts
20-Anthony Zuniga, G - 1/1 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 ast, 1 stl, 4 pts
34-Jordan Farley, F - 8/14 fg, 1/1 ft, 11 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl, 20 pts
12-Geoffrey Clayton, G - 9/16 fg, 5/6 ft, 5 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 24 pts
21-Heath Colvin, F - 0/3 fg, 4 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 0 pts
11-Jon Black, G - 0/1 fg, 1 ast, 0 pts
33-Cedrick Kalombo, C - 1 reb, 1 blk, 0 pts
5-Alex Hansen, F - 0/2 fg, 1 ast, 0 pts
31-David Lange, C - 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 0 pts
team rebounds: 7
Totals: 42/83 fg (.506), 22/24 ft (.917), 47 reb, 20 ast, 4 blk, 11 stl, 114 pts
3-pt fg (8): Farley 3, Sanchez 2, Williams 2, Clayton
Turnovers (20): Tolliver 4, Zuniga 4, Esparza 3, Williams 2, Clayton 2, Colvin 2, Black 2, Kalombo
Halftime Score: Fresno 60, Ventura 57
Updated Records: Fresno 32-0, Ventura 25-5
