SF Nate Bichara's runner with 32 seconds left broke a 63-63 tie, helping defending champion LA Valley (5-2) topple #9 Fullerton (4-3), 66-63, in the final of the Moorpark Thanksgiving Tournament Saturday afternoon.
SG Chris Horstman had 20 pts to capture tourney MVP honors, and Ctr Curtis Leslie had a double-double with 14 pts and 16 rebs in the final. But it was Bichara's basket that broke the tie. Leslie and Bichara were named to the all-tournament team.
Fullerton had two real chances to tie or take the lead in the final seconds, but PG Ahmaad Cook missed both times. Then after Leslie grabbed the rebound of the second shot, he was fouled and made a free throw to make it 66-63. With 0.8 seconds left, Horstman intercepted a long pass on Fullerton's last-ditch effort.
LA Valley began the game on a 9-1 spurt. Fullerton missed its first 7 shots of the game before Ctr Mike Cox scored inside. But moments later Bichara drained a 3-pointer to make it 12-3 in favor of Valley.
That would turn out the be the biggest lead of the game for either team. Fullerton started making shots, and gradually chipped away at the lead, finally tying the game at 28 late in the first half. At the break, it was 30-30.
When the second half began, Fullerton went in front, opening a 46-38 lead at one point. But Valley rallied, tying the game at 54 with 6:35 left on an inside move by Ctr Pierre Prince. The lead went back and forth after that, with Fullerton holding a 63-60 lead after a driving lay-up by Cook with just over a minute left.
Valley drew even with a 3-pointer by PG Robert Brown, who made his only field goal of the game with just over a minute left in regulation. That set the stage for Bichara's tie-breaking basket, as Fullerton failed to score after Cook's basket with over a minute left.
Fullerton lost despite a double-double by Cox, who had 15 pts and 10 rebs. Cook added 10 pts, 2 asts and 2 steals. They were both named to the all-tourney team. PF Tre Brewer had a strong effort off the bench with 8 pts, 10 rebs, 2 asts, 2 steals and a blocked shot. SF Tenacious Gibson added 7 pts and PG Paul Taylor had 5 pts plus a team-high 4 asts and a game-high 4 steals.
The win improves Valley's record to 5-2 while Fullerton falls to 4-3.
box score
Saturday, November 29, 2008 - 3 pm
2008 Moorpark College Thanksgiving Tournament
Championship Game:
LA Valley Monarchs 66:
12-Robert Brown, PG - 1/3 fg, 2/3 ft, 2 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl, 3 pf, 5 pts
31-Andrey Orlov, PF - 2/4 fg, 7 reb, 1 ast, 2 pf, 5 pts
33-Chris Horstman, SG - 7/14 fg, 3/4 ft, 2 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 20 pts
35-Nate Bichara, SF - 3/10 fg, 2/2 ft, 3 reb, 5 ast, 2 pf, 9 pts
40-Curtis Leslie, C - 5/14 fg, 4/8 ft, 16 reb, 1 blk, 1 pf, 14 pts
45-Solaiman Sekamwa, F - 2/3 fg, 1/2 ft, 4 reb, 1 pf, 5 pts
10-Tyief Thompson, G - 0/1 fg, 0/2 ft, 1 reb, 3 ast, 1 pf, 0 pts
22-Jerome Lowe, F - 0/2 fg, 2 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 pf, 0 pts
32-Pierre Prince, C - 3/5 fg, 3 reb, 3 blk, 1 pf, 6 pts
23-Christian Holden, F - 1/2 fg, 1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 2 pts
21-James Shipp, F - 1 reb, 1 ast, 0 pts
team rebounds: 4
Totals: 24/58 fg (.414), 12/21 ft (.571), 46 reb, 19 ast, 5 blk, 5 stl, 18 pf, 66 pts
3-pt fg (6): Horstman 3, Brown, Orlov, Bichara
Turnovers (25): Brown 6, Bichara 6, Sekumwa 3, Orlov 2, Leslie 2, Prince 2, Horstman, Thompson, Holden, team
Fullerton Hornets 63:
3-Ahmad Cook, PG - 4/10 fg, 2/4 ft, 2 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 10 pts
5-Darnell Porter, SG - 0/1 fg, 0/2 ft, 1 pf, 0 pts
11-Tsung-Hsien (Swing) Chaung, PF - 3/5 fg, 2/2 ft, 4 reb, 1 ast, 5 pf, 8 pts
22-Lavell McDade, SF - 2/3 fg, 1/2 ft, 3 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 5 pts
32-Mike Cox, C - 6/11 fg, 3/5 ft, 10 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 3 pf, 15 pts
12-Julius Armon, G - 2/3 fg, 1 reb, 2 ast, 2 pf, 5 pts
23-Tre Brewer, F - 2/9 fg, 4/6 ft, 10 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl, 2 pf, 8 pts
2-Paul Taylor, G - 2/5 fg, 1/5 ft, 4 ast, 4 stl, 3 pf, 5 pts
4-Taylor Walker, G - 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 0 pts
25-Tenacious Gibson, F - 2/8 fg, 2/2 ft, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 pf, 7 pts
team rebounds: 1
Totals: 23/56 fg (.411), 15/28 ft (.436), 34 reb, 16 ast, 2 blk, 11 stl, 23 pf, 63 pts
3-pt fg (2): Armon, Gibson
Fouled Out: Chaung 2:53 left
Turnovers (19): Cox 4, Taylor 4, Brewer 3, Chaung 2, Walker 2, Cook, Porter, Armon, Gibson
Halftime Score: Tied at 30
Updated Records: LA Valley 5-2, Fullerton (#9-South, #17-Calif) 4-3
Bichara's runner with 32 seconds left broke a 63-all tie
Horstman was named Tourney MVP. Bichara, Leslie, Cox & Cook were named to the all-tournament team.
