PG Keith Smith, SG Charles Callison and SF Gerry Blakes each scored at least 20 points as #5 San Bernardino Valley edged local rival #8 Riverside, 88-75, in the final game of the 2013 Alvin Hunter Classic Sunday evening at Snyder Gymnasium.
The Arizona State-bound Blakes earned tourney MVP honors with his 20 pts, 4 rebs, 4 asts and 4 steals despite playing through a thigh bruise that caused him to miss Saturday's loss to Antelope Valley. His return Sunday kept the Wolverines (5-1) unbeaten with him in the lineup.
Sunday, the Wolverines jumped out to an early 20-point lead but had to hold off a stubborn Riverside (1-5) team and overcome a spectacular shooting performance by RCC guarad Robert James, who made 8 three-pointers and scored 29 points for the Tigers.
Riverside cut the margin to just 3 points after a 3-pointer by SG Kendall Schmidt made it 47-44 with 16:40 left in the second half. San Bernardino Valley had built a 20-point lead midway through the first half and led by 14 points at the half.
But San Bernardino Valley answered with a 9-0 spurt that became a 16-2 run to pull away again and led by at least 9 points the rest of the game. It started with a 3-point play by Smith but also included 2 quick fouls on RCC Ctr Taj Adams, who committed his 4th foul on the Smith 3-point play and then committed his 5th foul before RCC coach Phil Mathews could get a substitute into the game for him.
Then came an absolutely stellar stretch by Blakes, who drove to the basket to draw Adams' 5th foul with 14:39 left. He made the two resulting free throws to make it 56-44. Then in the next minute-plus, he grabbed a loose ball near midcourt for a steal and scored. He blocked a shot at the rim on defense. Then he and Ctr Darren Smith executed a stunning give-and-go under the Tiger basket that ended with a Blakes lay-up off a behind-the-back pass from Smith. Another basket - on a rather routine driving lay-up - by Blakes made it 62-46 and completed the run.
Riverside mounted one last rally, cutting the deficit to 9 points after two free throws by SF Jelani Mitchell made it 69-60 with 8:21 left. But a short jumper by Smith and a 3-point play by Blakes made it 74-60 and kept SBVC out of danger. A steal & lay-up by Smith made it 81-66 a little later, sealing the win for SBVC.
Early on, San Bernardino Valley threatened to run away with the game, jumping out to a 10-2 lead after 3-pointers by Blakes and Callison. Two more threes by Callison made it 23-8 about 8 minutes into the game. A 3-point play by Smith made it 26-8 with 11:18 left. A 3-point basket by Blakes made it 29-9 with 10:38 left in the first half.
Riverside kept it from getting any worse, however, mainly due to the shooting of James, who made 5 of his 8 threes in the first half. One of them cut the margin to 12 points at 33-21. Another cut the deficit to 10 points at 37-27 with 4:45 left. Another brought Riverside within 9 at 41-32 with 2:30 left in the half.
But in the final minute of the half, Blakes made a 3-pointer and PG Darren Lockett made a long 2-pointer to make it 46-32 at the half. There was a little confusion as the points initially went to the wrong team on the scoreboard, but in the end the correct score of 46-32 was posted at the half.
Smith finished with 29 pts on 11-for-17 from the floor and added 4 asts and 4 steals for SBVC. Callison made 10-for-13 from the floor, with 6 threes, for his 28 pts. And Blakes' 20 points included 3 three-pointers.
For Riverside, James came off the bench for his 29 pts. PF Donald DJ Muepo scored 20 pts and added 9 rebs to just miss the double-double. but no other Tiger scored in double digits. Schmidt had a strong all-around game with 8 pts, 8 rebs and a game-high 5 asts. box score
3rd Annual Alvin Hunter Classic
Sunday, November 17, 2013 - 5 pm
Snyder Gymnasium, San Bernardino
Riverside Tigers 75:
0-Jelani Mitchell, SF - 2/5 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 6 pts
2-Antonio Mayfield, PG - 0/2 fg, 1/2 ft, 2 reb, 3 ast, 2 pf, 1 pt
10-Kendall Schmidt, SG - 3/12 fg, 1/2 ft, 8 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 8 pts
15-Taj Adams, C - 0/2 fg, 4/4 ft, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 5 pf, 4 pts
25-Donald DJ Muepo, PF - 5/10 fg, 10/13 ft, 9 reb, 1 stl, 3 pf, 20 pts
13-Keenan Braden, F - 2/5 fg, 3/3 ft, 4 reb, 2 ast, 3 pf, 7 pts
30-Robert James, G - 8/15 fg, 5/7 ft, 3 reb, 2 ats, 1 stl, 2 pf, 29 pts
4-Shawn Joseph, G - 0 pts
1-Yosimar Bernardez, G - 0 pts
40-Patrick Sniff, C - 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 1 pf, 0 pts
team rebounds: 4
Totals: 20/51 fg (.392), 26/33 ft (.788), 34 reb, 17 ast, 2 blk, 4 stl, 18 pf, 75 pts
3-pt fg (9): James 8, Scmidt
Fouled Out: Adams 14:39 left
Turnovers (18): Mitchell 5, Mayfield 4, Adams 2, Muepo 2, Sniff 2, Schmidt, James, Bernardez
San Bernardino Valley Wolverines 88:
3-Keith Smith, PG - 11/17 fg, 7/8 ft, 2 reb, 4 ast, 4 stl, 1 pf, 29 pts
4-Gerry Blakes, SF - 7/18 fg, 3/3 ft, 4 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk, 4 stl, 4 pf, 20 pts
21-Marcus Fuggins, PF - 1/3 fg, 3/4 ft, 7 reb, 2 blk, 4 pf, 5 pts
24-Charles Callison, SG - 10/13 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 28 pts
33-Kindell Kinloch, C - 0/2 fg, 4 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 0 pts
34-Darren Smith, C - 2/3 fg, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 5 pf, 4 pts
15-Steven Adams, F - 0/2 fg, 2 reb, 0 pts
0-Darren Lockett, G - 0/2 fg, 2/2 ft, 2 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 2 pts
32-Trayvon Bashir, F - 1 reb, 1 ast, 2 pf, 0 pts
team rebounds: 2
Totals: 31/63 fg (.492), 17/19 ft (.895), 32 reb, 17 ast, 3 blk, 13 stl, 24 pf, 88 pts
3-pt fg (9): Callison 6, Blakes 3
Fouled Out: D.Smith 54.4 seconds left
Turnovers (11): Blakes 4, K.Smith 2, Callison 2, D.Smith, Dixon, team
Halftime Score: San Bernardino Valley 46, Riverside 32
Updated Records: San Bernardino Valley (#5-South preseason) 5-1, Riverside (#8-South preseason) 1-5
SBVC led 29-9 midway through the first half.
Riverside got within 3 at 47-44 with 16:40 left after Schmidt's 3-pointer.
SBVC answered with a 16-2 run and led by at least 9 the rest of the way.
Blakes (SBVC) was named Tournamnent MVP and James (RCC) was named to the All-Tournament team.
