PF Taj Spencer poured in 43 points, including the game-winning free throw with 0.4 seconds left in overtime, and grabbed 20 rebounds to lead Pasadena to a 99-98 victory over previously-unbeaten Victor Valley Sunday afternoon at the Alvin Hunter Classic in San Bernardino.
Pasadena (4-2) managed to do what no other team has done so far this season - hand upstart Victor Valley (5-1) a loss. But it took a monster game from the 6-7 Spencer as well as five extra minutes and a great play by PG Jeffrey Dockett that started the sequence that led to the game-winning free throw.
With the game tied at 98 and time winding down, Victor Valley SG Kevin Lawson dribbled towards the paint only to have the ball poked away from behind by Dockett. SF Nathan Henderson gained possession and quickly threw an outlet pass to Dockett, who got the ball to Spencer on the run near the basket. Spencer went up for the shot, lost the ball, but the whistle blew as the buzzer sounded to end overtime.
The officials huddled, and determined that a foul had been committed with 0.4 seconds remaining. Spencer made the first free throw that turned out to be the game-winner. He intentionally missed the second, but committed a line violation as he started after the miss. After a timeout, VVC inbounded the ball to SF Max Barkeley, who attempted a one-handed football-type throw as the horn sounded again. It was long enough but wide left and bounced off the backboard.
All that was just the final chapter of an epic battle that saw two very evenly-matched teams contest a game that was close the entire way. The largest lead of the game was Pasadena's 35-27 advantage with 5:55 left in the first half, and it took Victor Valley just over four minutes to erase that deficit and take a 43-41 lead. The Rams held a 49-46 lead at the half.
Pasadena took a 67-62 lead midway through the second half, but Victor Valley answered with a 10-2 run to take a 72-69 lead with 8:20 remaining. From there the lead went back and forth the rest of regulation time. Lawson had a chance to win it for the Rams with 1.3 seconds left but made just one of his two free throws to tie the score at 88 and send it to overtime.
Victor Valley jumped out to a 96-90 lead after a 3-pointer by SG John Brown that was sandwiched by a pair of baskets by Lawson. But Pasadena tied the score at 98 when Dockett scored on a driving lay-up with 15.7 seconds remaining. Victor Valley got the ball back after that, but Dockett poked it away on the play that led to Spencer's game-winning free throw.
Spencer, who played at Mt. SAC in 2011-12, finished with an astounding 43 points, 20 rebounds and 4 assists on the day. With Ctr Faruk Oyalade saddled with foul trouble much of the game, Spencer was the main interior presence for the Lancers. SG Shawn Joseph had 6 pts and 6 rebs, the next-highest rebound total for anyone on either team after Spencer.
Dockett had 16 pts, 4 rebs, 3 asts and 4 steals, despite being benched for the first 11:40 of the second half. He re-entered the game when Joseph picked up his 4th foul with 8:20 left, and played most of the rest of the way. PF Rashad Smith had 13 pts for the Lancers and Oyalade had 11 pts and 5 rebs. PG Adrian Miles came off the bench for 7 pts, a game-high 7 asts and 4 steals.
For Victor Valley, Lawson had an outstanding game despite the final play, finishing with 29 pts, 5 rebs, 6 asts and 3 steals and earning a berth on the all-tournament team. PF Kimani Lane had 28 pts, including 5 threes, plus 5 rebs, 3 asts and 3 steals. Berkeley had 15 pts, including 4 threes, and Brown came off the bench for 10 pts.
box score
3rd Annual Alvin Hunter Classic
Sunday, November 17, 2013 - 3 pm
Snyder Gymnasium, San Bernardino
Pasadena Lancers 99:
12-Jeffrey Dockett, PG - 6/13 fg, 3/4 ft, 4 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl, 4 pf, 16 pts
14-Brandon Joseph, SG - 3/4 fg, 6 reb, 1 ast, 5 pf, 6 pts
23-Jonathan Henderson, SF - 1/6 fg, 1 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 3 pts
24-Taj Spencer, PF - 18/27 fg, 7/13 ft, 20 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 43 pts
32-Faruk Oyalade, C - 2/3 fg, 7/8 ft, 5 reb, 4 pf, 11 pts
21-Rashad Smith, F - 2/3 fg, 9/9 ft, 2 reb, 3 ast, 2 pf, 13 pts
22-Adrian Miles, G - 3/8 fg, 5 reb, 7 ast, 4 stl, 4 pf, 7 pts
20-Kalen Verhoeven, G - 0/1 fg, 2 ast, 2 stl, 4 pf, 0 pts
52-Brandon Croom, F - 1 pf, 0 pts
42-Marsalis Ellison, G - 0 pts
team rebounds: 3
Totals: 35/65 fg (.538), 26/34 ft (.766), 46 reb, 24 ast, 0 blk, 12 stl, 31 pf, 99 pts
3-pt fg (3): Dockett, Henderson, Miles
Technical Foul: Spencer
Fouled Out: Joseph 8.5 seconds left in regulation
Turnovers (27): Dockett 7, Henderson 4, Miles 4, Verhoeven 4, Joseph 3, Spencer 2, Oyalade 2, Smith
Victor Valley Rams 98:
3-Justin Knowles, PG - 2/8 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 7 pts
5-Max Barkeley, SF - 4/12 fg, 3/3 ft, 3 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 15 pts
13-Kevin Lawson, SG - 10/13 fg, 9/13 ft, 5 reb, 6 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl, 2 pf, 29 pts
24-Kimani Lane, PF - 11/17 fg, 1/2 ft, 5 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl, 3 pf, 28 pts
44-Nigel Plunkett, C - 2/2 fg, 1/4 ft, 3 reb, 3 blk, 1 stl 5 pf, 5 pts
4-Jasper Watt, F - 1/1 fg, 4 reb, 1 stl, 5 pf, 2 pts
11-John Brown, G - 2/9 fg, 5/7 ft, 1 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 10 pts
10-Brandon Parker, G - 1/3 fg, 2 ast, 2 pf, 2 pts
32-Andrew Holland, F - 2 reb, 1 pf, 0 pts
21-Ali Jabalameli, G - 0 pts
team rebounds: 4
Totals: 33/65 fg (.508), 21/31 ft (.677), 27 reb, 20 ast, 5 blk, 11 stl, 23 pf, 98 pts
3-pt fg (11): Lane 5, Barkeley 4, Knowles, Brown
Technical Foul: Watt
Fouled Out: Watt 5:33 left, Plunkett 7.4 seconds left in regulation
Turnovers (17): Lawson 6, Barkeley 3, Lane 3, Knowles 2, Watt 2, Parker
Halftime Score: Victor Valley 49, Pasadena 46
End of Regulation: Tied at 88
Updated Records: Pasadena 4-2, Victor Valley 5-1
Neither team led by more than 8 points the whole game. Pasadena led 35-27 in the 1st half.
Lawson made 1 of 2 FTs with 1.3 seconds left in regulation to send the game to OT.
Victor Valley led 96-90 early in OT.
Spencer made 1 of 2 FTs with 0.4 secs left in OT to win it.
Barkeley's 70-foot one-handed heave at the final buzzer hit the backboard.
Spencer (PCC) and Lawson (VVC) were named to the All-Tournament team.
