Over the summer, whenever I saw someone with ties to the JC world, I posted the highlights on this page.
This included the Drew League, the JBL and a couple of nights at the venerable SF Pro-Am league at historic Kezar Pavilion.
There were also two shootouts that I've covered seperately; they are linked at the bottom of this page. August 10:The Drew League Championship, King-Drew HS, Watts
A year after an two all-JC teams battled for the championship of the Say No Classic, Coach Allen Caveness (Compton/Fullerton/Mt. SAC/CSDH) and his Hank's Houdini All-Stars, which featured 5 JC alumni starters, edged a COA squad that had 3 NBA veterans, an NBDL veteran and a onetime UCLA standout in its starting lineup.
A day after surviving a quadruple-overtime marathon against retired NBA star Baron Davis and the top-seeded Cheaters, the Houdini All-Stars saw a 13-point first-half lead disappear against COA as the lead changed hands several times in the fourth quarter, but managed to emerge with a 1-point victory to claim the Drew League championship.
The Houdinis took a 83-82 lead when Jourdan Sweeney scored on a putback with about two minutes to go. Leon Gibson split two free throws with 1:48 left to make it 84-82. Longtime NBA veteran Craig Smith had a chance to tie the score with 30.3 seconds left and made one free throw, but missed the second, leaving the score 84-83.
The Houdinis took the shot clock down as far as they could, and PG Antonio Biglow (Mt. SAC/Montana State) launched a 3-point try just as the buzzer sounded. It missed, but by the time COA gathered the rebound there were fewer than 3 seconds left. COA's final gasp was a half-court heave by onetime NBA lottery pick Julian Wright that missed. Smith, who had hustled down the court ahead of the play, caught the rebound just as the final horn sounded but had no time to attempt a putback, allowing the Houdini All-Stars to begin their celebration.
Though certainly not on the same scale of significance as Texas Western's historic NCAA championship in 1966 as the first team with five African-American starters to win a title, besting Adolph Rupp's all-white Kentucky Wildcats in the process, it was nonetheless a huge day for Junior College basketball.
Four of the five starters on the winners played for Coach Caveness at Mt. SAC, and the fifth, Ctr Kwame Alexander, played at Irvine Valley before moving on to Cal State San Bernardino and a pro career overseas. Meanwhile, none of the five starters for COA ever played JC basketball, though 6th man J.R. Lewis played for LA Trade Tech.
Early on, it looked like the Houdini's might be either in over their heads or exhausted from Saturday's quadruple-overtime thriller as COA jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the first 2:31. The COA lead reached as many as 8 points at 17-9 later in the first quarter.
The Houdinis got into the game after that, however, with back-to-back jumpers by Biglow, the 2010-11 JCHoops.com SoCal Player of the Year, sparking a 9-0 run that saw the Houdinis take an 18-17 lead after a steal & 2 free throws by SF Garrett Nevels (Mt. SAC/Hawaii) with 53.2 seconds left in the first quarter.
COA re-took the lead when Lewis hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to end the first quarter, but the Houdini All-Stars started to take over the game in the second quarter, outscoring COA 34-21 behind 15 points from SG Corey Allen (Mt. SAC/South Florida), the 2012-13 JCHoops.com SoCal Player of the Year.
Allen put the Houdinis back in front with a 3-pointer to start the quarter, and after a free throw by COA Nevels hit a three to give the Houdinis a 26-23 lead. A driving lay-up by Allen made it 30-24 about two minutes into the quarter. A Nevels three made it a 7-point game at 33-26. Alexander hit a short jumper to push the lead to 8 at 42-34, and Allen followed with a bank shot with 3:14 left to push the margin to double digits at 44-34. The lead reached as many as 13 points after a Nevels jumper with about 40 seconds left in the half made it 53-40.
At that point the NBA veteran Smith decided he'd had enough of Allen's drives to the baskets and fouled him hard with 3.7 seconds to go in the half. It was ruled just a common blocking foul, but in the aftermath both Smith and Nevels received technical fouls. Allen split the two free throws to make it 54-41, and the Houdinis led, 54-43, at the break.
And the break lasted a bit longer than anyone had anticipated as there was some trouble with the net on the north basket. Action didn't resume until nearly 3:30 - after a halftime break of nearly 40 minutes.
And when play resumed, COA went inside to its imposing front line of Smith, Wright and 7-foot Jerome Jordan, and quickly erased that double-digit deficit. Onetime UCLA standout Billy Knight drained back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the Houdini lead to 3 points at 58-55 with 5:36 left in the third quarter. Two free throws by Jordan made it 59-58 with 4:58 left in the quarter, and Smith scored off a pass from Wright to make it a 1-point game at 64-63. Longtime pro Brandon Heath split two free throws for COA with 2:31 left in the quarter to tie the score at 64.
Allen made two free throws to put the Houdinis back in front, and Biglow scored on a lay-up following a steal by Allen to make it 68-64. The lead reached a half-dozen when Sweeney, previewing his pivotal putback score that would come in the fourth quarter, scored on a putback at the end of the third quarter to make it 72-66 in favor of the Houdinis.
In the fourth quarter, Lewis hit a jumper to cut the Houdini lead to three points at 74-71, and then got into a dust-up with Biglow that resulted in technical fouls on each. Then COA got within a point after a lay-up by Wright. Smith tied the score with a 3-point play on a putback with 3:16 left, and gave COA an 80-78 lead when he scored off a pass from Heath with 2:47 to play.
The Houdini All-Stars got a 3-pointer from Biglow, but COA went back in front on a slam dunk by Wright. Then came Sweeney's putback that gave the Houdinis an 83-82 lead and proved to be not just the pivotal basket but the final field goal of the game.
For Hank's Houdini All-Stars, Allen led all scorers with his 25 pts, and he also had 3 asts. Nevels had 20 pts and 5 rebs, and Biglow had 17 pts and 5 asts. Alexander had 11 pts and a team-high 11 rebs. Sweeney came off the bench for 6 pts and 6 rebs.
For COA, Knight scored a team-high 19 pts, and Smith had a powerful all-around game with 18 pts, a game-high 16 rebs, 6 asts, 2 blocks and a steal. Jordan had 16 pts, 9 rebs and 2 blocks, and Wright had 14 pts, 9 rebs and 4 asts. Heath started at point guard and had 5 pts and a game-high 9 asts. Lewis came off the bench for 12 pts.
Before the game, another Mt. SAC alumn was honored as Ervin Ware received the Kevin L. Dandridge award as the league's Most Inspirational Player for 2014. Ware played on Cheaters II alongside Philadelphia 76er Casper Ware Jr. for their father, Drew League legend Casper Ware Sr. again this season.
August 5: San Francisco Pro-Am, Kezar Pavilion
SG Quincy Smith (CC San Francisco/Hawaii) poured in 32 pts but it Bay Pride fell to 2-time defending champion SF City in a playoff game Tuesday night.
Bay Pride held a 31-23 lead at the end of the first quarter, and extended its margin to a dozen at 37-25 after a tremendous dunk in transition by the 6-foot guard over a much taller defender, bringing the Kezar Pavilion crowd to its feet in appreciation.
However, it was the champs who seemed to draw inspiration from the slam, as they went on a 16-2 run to take a 41-39 lead and led, 50-48, at the half.
In the second half SF City led all the way, and extended its lead to as many as 13 points at 93-80. Bay Pride hung around, but never quite caught up. A 3-pointer by SG Dominique Johnson (SW Tennessee/Azusa Pacific/NBDL/Poland) gave SF City a 100-88 with 2:15 left, and Johnson canned a jumper a bit later that made it 104-94.
Smith finished with a game-high 32 pts and added 5 rebs, 4 asts and 3 steals for Bay Pride. SF Jourdan DeMuynck (Chabot/Prairie View A&M/Greece) had 22 pts plus 5 rebs, a team-high 6 asts and 3 steals. PF Da'Ron Sims (CCSF/W Georgia/Iceland) came off the bench for 14 pts, 5 rebs and a steal. PF Kevin Loustale (Shasta/CS Monterey Bay) came off the bench for 4 pts and 5 rebs, and PG Arron Mollet (Gavilan/Notre Dame de Namur/NBDL) also played briefly but did not score.
For the winners, Johnson excelled as a 6th man, coming off the bench for 18 pts and adding 2 rebs and 4 asts in a typical Jamal Crawford-like performance. PF Eryk Thomas (Santa Rosa/E Tennessee State/Uruguay) started and had 6 pts, 4 rebs, an assist and a steal.
August 3: The Drew League, Watts, CA
SF Garrett Nevels (Mt. SAC/Hawaii) scored 24 pts and Ctr Kwame Alexander (Irvine Valley/CS San Bernardino/Bosnia) had 16 pts and 8 rebs to lead Hank's Houdini All-Stars to a 98-57 thrashing of the #2-seed Jaguars in the final quarterfinal game of the day.
The Jaguars entered with a stellar 9-2 record but were overmatched from the start by former Compton, Fullerton & Mt. SAC coach Allen Caveness and his Houdini All-Stars.
Four of the five starters played for Caveness at Mt. SAC, and they set the tone, jumping out to an unfathomable 31-5 lead at the end of the first quarter. In that 8-minute quarter the Houdini All-Stars generated 10 steals, and the shell-shocked Jaguars never got in the game.
Nevels finished with 24 pts, including 4 threes, plus 8 rebs and 5 asts. Alexander had 16 pts, 8 rebs, 2 asts, 2 blocks and 2 steals, and about a half-dozen ferocious dunks. SG Corey Allen (Mt. SAC/South Florida) had 11 pts, 5 asts and 5 steals, and PG Antonio Biglow (Mt. SAC/Montana State) had 9 pts, a game-high 9 asts and a team-high 6 asts. PF Josh White (Mt. SAC) had 7 pts, 4 rebs and 4 steals. SG Dontay Sanford (Mt. SAC/Post) came off the bench for 4 pts.
For the Jaguars, Ctr Khalil Kelley (Sequoias/Pacific) had a double-double with 11 pts and 15 rebs. SF Tristan Wilson (Yuba/Long Beach State) also had 11 pts and added 6 rebs and 2 asts. SG Chris Telesford (LA City/Columbus State/NBDL) had 6 pts, 2 rebs and 2 asts. SF Eric Williams (Long Beach/Tarleton St.) played briefly but did not score.
In earlier action, PF Malcolm Thomas (SD City/SD State/NBA) scored 27 pts and made 5 three-pointers for the CitiTeam Blazers but the defending champions fell anyway, 70-64, to COA.
Thomas also had a team-high 8 rebs, and kept his team close in the final minutes with one 3-pointer that made it 58-57 midway through the fourth quarter and another 3-pointer that made it a 2-point game at 68-66 with 1:30 remaining, but the Blazers never quite caught up.
PG J.R. Lewis (LA Trade Tech/Fresno Pacific) came off the bench for the winners and had 7 pts, 2 asts and 2 steals. PG Horace Wormely (Pasadena/Vanguard/NBDL) started for the Blazers and had 5 asts but did not score.
In the first game of the day, SG Justin Johnson (Citrus/Concordia/NBDL) scored 18 pts and added 6 rebs and 4 asts to help the top-seeded Cheaters, a team led by NBA veteran star Baron Davis, to a 98-85 win over Problems.
SF Van Girard (Cerritos/CS Dominguez Hills/ABA) started for the winners and had 15 pts plus 6 rebs, an assist, a block and 2 steals. Ctr Davie Champagnie (Riverside/Martin Methodist) also started and had 9 pts, 3 rebs, a block and 2 steals. PF Kevin Lewis (Compton/Wyoming) came off the bench and had 3 pts, 7 rebs, 2 asts and a steal.
For Problems, Ctr Doug Thomas (SE Iowa/Iowa/NBDL) had 12 pts and 8 rebs, and SG Dejean Prejean had 11 pts, 5 rebs, 3 asts and 4 steals. PF Kirpatrick McCauley (Santa Monica) had 8 pts and 5 rebs. SF Steve Alford (Bakersfield/Western Washington) came off the bench for 3 pts and Ctr Joseph Taylor (LA City/Wyoming/China) came off the bench for 2 pts, 1 rebound, a block and a steal.
In later action, PG Ervin Ware (Mt. SAC) made 4 three-pointers for 12 pts and added 3 asts and 3 steals to help his NBA brother Casper (76ers) and the Cheaters II to a 75-73 win over NWA.
Ctr Donald Lee (LA Pierce/CS Bakersfield) came off the bench and had 4 pts and 6 rebs for the winners, and SF Tim Austin (Cypress/Hawaii-Hilo) came off the bench for 3 pts and a rebound.
For NWA, PF Jushay Rockett (Az Western/Alaska-Fairbanks/Canada) had 10 pts and a game-high 16 rebs. Ctr Mike Martin (LA Valley/West LA) started and had 8 pts, 5 rebs and 3 asts.
July 30: San Francisco Pro-Am
PG Marquel Hoskins (Reedley/SF State) was honored before the game, but it was SG Dominique Grant (Los Medanos/Belleview) who stole the show with 25 pts to lead the Oakland Believers to a win over the first-place Bay Raiders.
Hoskins was named 2014 SF Pro-Am Most Valuable Player before the game, joining the realm of Landry Fields, Leon Powe, Mark Madsen and many others among SF Pro-Am royalty, earning recognition for leading the Raiders to a first place finish in the regular season this summer.
And when the first quarter started, Hoskins showed why he was so honored, scoring 4 points and adding 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals in the first quarter as the Raiders took an early 19-11 lead.
But then Hoskins went to the bench to rest, and the Believers rallied, finishing the quarter with a 14-3 run to take a 3-point lead. Grant finished the first half with 10 points and 13 different players took the floor for the Believers.
Hoskins returned midway through the second quarter to help the Raiders take a 7-point advantage at the half, and they also led by 9 points after three quarters, 72-63.
Though the Raiders had already clinched first place, the game was of huge importance to the Believers in their quest to qualify for the 5-team playoff field. SF City, South Bay and the winner of Thursday's game between Bay Pride and the Dream Team will all finish 4-3, leaving just one more spot for either the Believers or the loser of Thursday's game. And the Believers would lose the 2-way tie-breaker to Bay Pride on the basis of Pride's 91-88 over Oakland last week.
So Grant went to work, scoring 9 of his game-high 25 points in the fourth quarter and adding 3 of his game-high 5 steals as well to rally the Believers for the 91-85 victory. The Believers outscored the Raiders, 28-13, in the fourth quarter.
Grant finished with a game-high 25 pts plus 4 rebs, 6 asts and 5 steals to lead the winners. PF Mike Scott (Cabrillo/ABA) had 13 pts, 4 rebs and 2 steals. PF Erik Fearn (Alameda/SF State) had 2 pts, 4 rebs, 2 steals and an assist for the game, but played a significant role in the comeback, getting the Believers within two points at 76-74 with7:16 left with his field goal and totaling 2 pts, 3 rebs, an assist and a steal in the fourth quarter. PG Wayne Tucker (Las Positas/Lower Columbia CC) had just one point but dished out 6 asts, and SG Delvon Nisby (Merritt) played briefly but did not score.
For the Bay Raiders, Hoskins had a solid game with 15 pts, 6 rebs, 2 steals and a game-high 8 asts. Ctr Chris Adams (CCSF/Fresno State) had 8 pts and game-highs of 10 rebs and 4 blocked shots. PF Eric "Air Canada" Crookshank (Chabot/CSDH/Canada) came off the bench for 13 pts, 3 rebs and 3 steals, and SF Ike Count (CCSF/Texas Southern) had 11 pts and 3 rebs. SF Rob Jones (Canada/St. Mary's/Germany) came off the bench for 5 pts, 8 rebs and 2 blocked shots. SG Winston Demmin (Reedley/SF State) had 2 pts, a rebound and a blocked shot.
July 27: The Drew League, Watts, CA
Despite facing a team with 3 current NBA players and 2 more recent NBA guys, SG Justin Johnson (Citrus/Concordia/NBDL) and Baron Davis led the Cheaters to a 78-73 win over The Game's La Familia, clinching the top seed in the Kenny Brunner division.
Johnson scored 23 pts and added 5 rebs, 4 asts and 2 steals for the winners, who led virtually the whole game but had to hold off a late rally from La Familia. Johnson's 2 free throws with 4.4 seconds left sealed the win for the Cheaters, who finish the regular season 9-2.
Davis had 16 pts, including 4 three-pointers, plus 3 asts and 2 steals, and SF "Money Mike" Efevberha had 23 pts, 5 rebs and 3 asts. SF Van Girard (Cerritos/CS Dominguez Hills/ABA) started and had 8 pts and 4 rebs. Ctr Davie Champagnie (Riverside/Martin Methodist) also started and had 2 pts and 5 rebs. PF Kevin Lewis (Compton/Wyoming) came off the bench for 4 pts and 3 rebs.
PG Franklin "Frank Nitti" Session (Saddleback/Cal State LA/NBDL) started for La Familia and had 7 pts and a game-high 6 asts. SG Kendrick "Milk" Harris (LA Southwest/Lamar/ABA) also started and had 6 pts and 4 asts. SF Joseph Morgan (LA Trade Tech/Morgan State) also started but left the game when the pros started showing up and did not score.
La Familia lost despite the presence of current Toronto Raptors Jonas Valanciunas (15 pts, 12 rebs), Amir Johnson (10 pts, 13 rebs, 2 asts, 2 blks) and Terrence Ross (10 pts, 5 rebs, 2 asts)) as well as 2010 Laker hero Metta World Peace (13 pts, 8 rebs, 3 asts) and onetime lottery pick Rashad McCants (10 pts).
In earlier action, SG Josh Gordon (West LA/Texas A&M-Commerce) scored 22 pts and PF Mark Dawson (Pasadena/Long Beach State/Japan) had a double-double with 17 pts and 14 rebs to lead Skye Ryse to an 83-71 win over The Stingrays.
Skye Ryse led virtually all the way, thanks to the quick start by Gordon, who scored 9 points in the first quarter and 9 more in the second quarter as Skye Ryse built a 9-point halftime advantage. He finished with a game-high 22 pts and added 5 rebs, 2 asts and 2 steals.
Dawson had 17 pts and pulled down a game-high 14 rebs. SG Lamar Gayle (Cerritos/NBDL) had 15 pts, 4 rebs and 4 asts, and Ctr Shannen Garner (LA Southwest) had 5 pts and 6 rebs. Brandon Davies of the Philadelphia 76ers arrived a bit late but came off the bench for 15 pts and 7 rebs after entering the game in the second quarter.
For the Stingrays, SG Robbie Robinson (Riverside/CS Fullerton) had a team-high 21 pts plus 5 rebs, 3 asts, 2 blocks and 2 steals. PG Bryce Cartwright (Paris TX JC/Iowa/Kosovo) started and had 10 pts. Ctr Ephraim Ekanem (Irvine Valley/Northern Arizona) also started and had 6 pts and a team-high 12 rebs.
In the next game crowd favorite Nick Young of the LA Lakers scored 26 points to lead MHP to an easier-than-it-looks 79-70 win over LA Loop.
MHP led by 24 points entering the fourth quarter, and the clock ran for most of the second half. LA Loop closed the gap to 9 points in the final seconds but never threatened to actually get back into the game.
Nick's older brother Terrell (Allan Hancock/CSSB) started and had a basket and a rebound in the first few minutes of the game.
PF Rodney Webb (Long Beach/Fla Atlantic/Japan) scored 18 pts and added 7 rebs and 4 asts, and Ctr Shakir Johnson (Santa Monica/Metro State/overseas) had 12 pts, 10 rebs and 5 blocked shots for LA Loop. SG Kris Lawrie (El Camino/Colorado State-Pueblo) came off the bench for 4 pts, 4 rebs, 3 asts and 2 steals.
In the next game, PG Carlos Rivers (LA Valley/CS Dominguez Hills) just scored two baskets but they were huge ones as Tradition knocked off heavily-favored Hank's New Image, 82-79.
Rivers scored his first basket of the game on a lay-up after a steal by fellow CSDH alumn Ryan Walton, tying the score at 79 with 45 seconds left. Then he stole the ball back for Tradition, and with 21.8 seconds left hit a 3-pointer that proved to be the winning shot and the final score of the game.
Rivers, who famously had a triple-double for LA Valley against Glendale about a decade ago (here's the link - https://www.angelfire.com/sports/jc/feb604.html), added 8 rebs and 4 asts for the winners, who were made up largely of players from Westchester HS such as Ray Reese (27 pts), Keith Everage (16 pts) and Jonathan Tolliver (16 pts).
SF Zareh Zargaryan (Glendale/CS Dominguez Hills) came off the bench for 3 pts, a rebound and an assist.
SF Hassan Stephens (Antelope Valley/LA Pierce) had 7 pts and 5 rebs for New Image, which finishes the regular season 7-4.
Then there was another upset as Problems, led by NBA/overseas veteran Bobby LB Brown but also featuring a pair of former LA City College standouts, knocked off the Jaguars, who entered the game with a chance to tie for first place in the division.
SG Dejean Prejean (LA City/Cal State LA) had a double-double with 21 pts and 10 rebs and added 2 asts and 4 steals for the winners, who led most of the game but had to hold off a late rally from the Jaguars to get the win.
Ctr Joseph Taylor (LA City/Wyoming/China) also started for Problems and had 12 pts plus 7 rebs and 8 blocked shots. His jumper with 36.9 seconds left make it 90-86, starting a game-ending 8-point run to clinch the win after the Jaguars had closed the gap to two points with just over a minute to go.
PF Kirpatrick McCauley (Santa Monica) also started for the winners and had 8 pts, 6 rebs, 2 asts, a block and a steal.
And of course Brown, who has had time in the NBA with the Clippers and the Sacramento Kings, poured in a best-of-the-day 37 points, including 7 three-pointers, and dished out 6 assists.
For the Jaguars, SF Eric Williams (Long Beach/Tarleton State) had a huge game with 22 pts, 13 rebs, 7 asts, 3 blocks and a steal. SF Chris Telesford (LA City/Columbus State/NBDL) came off the bench for 4 pts and 2 rebs.
A key factor in the Jaguars' loss was a miserable 6.7% free throw shooting performance. The troubles began when Williams went to the line for an and-one free throw in the first half and was heckled by Clipper Darrell, who was sitting at midcourt. Before Clipper Darrell the Jaguars were an undistinguished 1-for-4 from the line but once he sprung into action the Jags missed 11 straight to finish the game.
July 26: The Drew League, Watts, CA
PG Sango Niang (Chaffey/Simon Fraser) scored 23 pts, PF Deshawn Stephens (Santa Monica/SD State/Japan) scored the go-ahead baskets and PF Adom Jacko (Chaffey) scored the most important basket of the season in Salvatori's No Shnacks' stunning 98-94 win over James Harden and The Soleclinics to clinch the final playoff berth in the Drew League.
With a playoff berth on the line, Coach/SG A.J. Gasporra (Citrus/Concordia) brought in a ringer, his high school teammate Harden, a first-team all-NBA selection in 2013-14, to help HS standout Stanley Johnson and veteran overseas scorer SG Steve Moore (Santa Ana/Arizona State/Sweden). No Shnacks countered with local hero Jamaal Franklin, but the current Memphis Grizzly guard didn't arrive until just before halftime.
Until then, Niang made sure No Shnacks stayed close, scoring 16 of his team-high 23 points in the first half, including a jumper over Harden near the end of the first quarter that gave No Shnacks a 24-23 lead. His 3-pointer over Gasporra in the second quarter pushed No Shnacks' advantage to 37-31, and he executed a give-and-go with Ctr Perris Blackwell (Washington) that stretched the lead to nine points at 40-31.
Harden brought the Soleclinics within a basket with a three late in the first half to make it 42-40, and then when he missed a 3-point try in the final seconds Johnson scored on the stickback to tie the score at 42 at the half.
Despite Franklin starting the second half for No Shnacks, Harden began the third quarter with a three-pointer to put the Soleclinics in front, and the lead reached as many as 10 points after he made a pair of free throws with 4:57 left in the third. The lead was 7 points at the end of the third, which ended with a driving lay-up by Harden that made it 71-64 and pushed his point total to 30.
But No Shnacks stayed close, cutting the margin to three on a Niang 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter that made it 77-74. The Soleclinics nursed a narrow lead for the next few minutes, but No Shnacks got within a point on a pair of free throws by Franklin with 1:33 left. Then Franklin split two free throws to tie it at 92 with 1:18 remaining.
At that point, the odds still seemed to favor the team with the NBA all-star, but Blackwell deflected interior passes on the Soleclinics' next two possessions, and each time it led to a fast break that ended wtih a basket by Stephens. His dunk off a pass from Franklin made it 96-92 with 39.0 seconds remaining and left No Shnacks on the brink of an upset.
Harden made two free throws with 7.5 seconds left to make it 96-94, and that could have been enough to get the Soleclinics into the playoffs via a 3-way tiebreaker. But after a timeout, Franklin passed the ball ahead to Jacko, whose slam dunk with 1.6 seconds remaining pushed the No Shnacks' lead to four points at 98-94. Harden missed a long shot at the horn from beyond midcourt, so No Shnacks had its 4-point win.
The margin of victory was key since a win by Hank's Bulldogs - they beat the Kings of LA, 82-76, on Sunday - left a 3-way tie for the final playoff spot with each team finishing 5-6 and going 1-1 against the other two teams in the tiebreaker. The Soleclinics beat the Bulldogs by 3 points in week 4, and the Bulldogs beat No Shnacks by 3 in week 10. Therefore this 4-point win puts No Shnacks into the playoffs by having the best margin of victory of the three, but only because of Jacko's basket with 1.6 seconds left.
Niang led No Shnacks with his 23 pts and added 7 rebs, 5 asts, a block and a steal. Jacko had 17 pts, 4 rebs and 2 blocks, and Stephens had 9 pts, 3 rebs, 2 asts, a block and a steal. PG Ryan Nitz came off the bench for 2 pts, 4 rebs and 2 asts. Franklin had 17 pts, 4 rebs, 3 asts and a steal in his half.
For the Soleclinics, Harden put on a show with 39 pts, including 3 three-pointers, plus 7 rebs, 5 asts, 2 blocks and a steal. Johnson had 28 pts, 9 rebs, 2 asts and a steals. PG Lorenzo McCloud (LA Southwest/Santa Rosa/Pacific) had 6 pts and a game-high 9 rebs, and PF Troy Payne (Citrus/Santa Clara) had 6 pts and 9 rebs. Moore scored 12 pts, and PF Jarion Henry (Cerritos) came off the bench for 2 pts and 4 rebs.
In earlier action, Ctr Malcolm Thomas (SD City/SD State/NBA) arrived a little late but still had 9 pts and a game-high 14 rebs to help defending champion CitiTeam Blazers get past Hank's Spiders, 90-67.
The score was tied 16-16 after the first quarter, and the Blazers held a modest 39-38 lead at the half, but took control in the second half.
SG Garrett Jefferson (Citrus/Hawaii/Cal Baptist) led the Spiders with 21 pts, and he also had 6 rebs. SG Evan Brooks (Pasadena/Chadron State) had 15 pts, including 3 three-pointers. PF Givon Crump (Pasadena/CS Dominguez Hills) had 6 pts, 3 rebs and 2 asts, and SF Jaquain Weary (Cerritos) did not score but had 6 rebs and 3 asts.
In the next game, PG Ervin Ware had 2 pts and 5 asts and, aided by his older brother Casper (Philadelphia 76ers), who scored 25 points, helped Hank's Cheaters II to an easy 84-69 win over the Robin Hood Project.
Ctr Donald Lee (LA Pierce/CS Bakersfield) came off the bench for 2 pts and 4 rebs.
For Robin Hood, SF Chris Lawrence (Long Beach/Jamestown) scored a game-high 27 pts and added 7 rebs, 4 asts and 5 steals. PG A.J. Harris (Santa Monica/Post Univ) came off the bench for 2 pts, 2 rebs, 3 asts, 4 steals and a blocked shot. Retired NFL star Terrell Owens had 9 pts, 9 rebs and 5 steals.
The next game saw The Clozers, featuring NBA veterans Brandon Jennings, Austin Daye and Jordan Hamilton, outlasted CABC, 99-88, breaking CABC's 6-game winning streak.
SG Steve Mallory (Mt. SAC/Norfolk State) came off the bench for 6 pts, combining with Jennings (33 pts) and Daye (19 pts, 10 rebs) to help The Clozers' bench outscore CABC's bench, 58-13).
SF Jeff Ledbetter (Irvine Valley/Idaho/Brazil) aka "The Unabomber" had 11 pts, including three 3-point bombs, plus 6 asts and 2 steals. SG Chase Miller (Santa Ana/Montana-Billings) also appeared briefly but did not score.
In the 3:15 game, SF Derrick O'Neil (Florida CC/Florida Gulf Coast/NBDL) had 15 pts, 6 rebs and 3 asts and PG Mark Peters (San Bernardino Valley/UC Riverside/Germany) had 12 pts and a game-high 7 asts to lead Salvatori's Nova Stars to an 86-77 win over top-seed NWA.
NWA entered the game 9-1 and already clinched the top seed in the Mike Brown division. Standout guard Jonathan Gibson was absent, but his replacement in the lineup was former LA Clipper Mike Taylor.
Still, the Nova Stars, an ABA team that has played in both the Drew and the JBL, led virtually all the way. NWA got within six points in the final minute of the game but Peters made two pairs of free throws in the final 29.5 seconds to clinch the win for the Nova Stars.
SF Deon Marcus (Pasadena/ABA) also started and had 11 pts, 2 rebs and 2 asts. PG T.J. Smith (Chaffey/Kentucky Wesleyan/overseas) arrived a little late but had 2 pts and 4 asts. SF Roderick Evans-Taylor (Chaffey/Simon Fraser) appeared briefly but did not score.
For NWA, SF Jushay Rockett (AZ Western/AK-Fairbanks) had 14 pts, 5 rebs and 6 asts. Ctr Charles "Chuck" Garcia (Riverside/Seattle/NBDL) had 9 pts, 2 rebs and 2 asts, and PF Mike Martin (West LA) had 4 pts, 2 rebs and 2 asts. Ctr Tom Granado (Citrus/Concordia/Mexico) came off the bench for 6 pts and 5 rebs.
July 6: The Drew League, Watts, CA
PF D.J. Shelton (Citrus/Washington State) had a double-double with 21 pts and 12 rebs to help MHP to a 91-67 win over Tradition in the most-watched game of the day Sunday at the Drew League.
Much of the crowd's attention was on NBA All-Star Paul George, who scored 33 points, or local favorite Nick Young, who played with the LA Lakers last season and had 13 pts and 13 rebs, but Shelton had a huge role in what turned out to be an easy win as well.
In addition, Ctr Reggie Murphy (Antelope Valley/Henderson State), who was the Drew League's Top Performer in Week 7, started and had 2 pts, 5 rebs, 2 asts and 2 blocked shots for the winners. And PG Carlos Rivers (LA Valley/CS Dominguez Hills) started for Tradition and had 9 pts plus a game-high 7 asts.
In the day's first game, SG Ryan Nitz (Chaffey/CS Monterey Bay) scored 19 pts, including 4 three-pointers, and dished out 5 asts to help Salvatori's No Shnacks to an 88-75 win over the Robin Hood Project.
Nitz was joined by onetime Chaffey teammates PG Sango Niang (now at Simon Fraser), who had 12 pts and a game-high 8 asts, and Ctr Adom Jacko, who had 13 pts, a team-high 8 rebs and a game-high 5 blocked shots.
PF DeShawn Stephens (Santa Monica/SD State/Japan) started for the winners and had 10 pts, 4 rebs, 2 asts and 3 steals. Ctr Jordan Richard (Riverside/Cal State LA/Israel) also started and had 8 pts, 5 rebs and 4 blocked shots.
For Robin Hood, SF Marc Wilson (Mt. San Jacinto/LA Trade Tech/Cal State LA) scored a game-high 29 pts and added 6 rebs, 3 asts and 6 steals. PF Vincent Harris aka "Hot Dog Water" (Porterville) had a double-double with 19 pts and a game-high 11 rebs. SG Chris Lawrence (Long Beach/Jamestown) had 6 pts, 5 rebs and 3 steals.
In the 2 pm game, PG Horace Wormely (Pasadena/Vanguard/NBDL) had 9 pts and a game-high 8 asts to help defending champion CitiTeam Blazers to a 67-62 win over the Kings of LA in a rematch of last summer's league championship game.
SF DeAndre Haskins (Citrus/Chaminade/Luxembourg) came off the bench for the winners and had 2 pts, 2 rebs and 2 steals. Ctr Troy Payne (Citrus/Santa Clara) also played briefly but did not score.
For the Kings, Ctr Tylon Bickham (LA Southwest) had a double-double with game-highs of 19 pts and 15 rebs. SG Victor Michel (Chaffey/Mexico) had 10 pts and 6 rebs, and SF Roy Walker (LA Southwest/The Master's College) had 4 pts, 5 rebs, 3 asts and 2 steals. The Kings were without the Wright brothers, however as NBA Trailblazer Dorrell was getting married.
The next game saw the SoCal return of former LA Laker Metta World Peace, who scored 25 points, added 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals, and held current Denver Nugget Quincy Miller to just 3 points in the 4th quarter in La Familia's 82-74 win over #Juglife.
Miller poured in 25 points in the first three quarters, but in the fourth quarter coach Ice Lattimore switched World Peace, the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year in 2003-04, onto Miller. As Miller managed but a single 3-pointer in the final 8 minutes, La Familia outscored #Juglife, 23-12, in the final quarter to come away with the win.
Ctr Kwame Alexander (Irvine Valley/CS San Bernardino/Bosnia) had another strong game with 21 pts, 12 rebs and several acrobatic slam dunks for the winners. PG Franklin "Frank Nitti" Session (Saddleback/Weber State/NBDL) had 5 pts, 8 rebs and 5 asts. PG Kendrick "Milk" Harris (LA Southwest/Lamar/Kentucky State) came off the bench for 5 pts.
For #Juglife, Miller finished with 28 pts, 10 rebs, 3 asts, a block and 2 steals. SG Victor Evans (LA Pierce) had 4 pts and 5 rebs despite foul trouble. SF Tim Smith (West LA) came off the bench for 4 pts and 2 rebs.
July 5: The Drew League, Watts, CA
Ctr Charles "Chuck" Garcia (Riverside/Seattle/Bahrain) scored 18 pts and 11 rebs to lead NWA to a 77-70 win over Cheaters II, giving NWA the best record in the Drew League at 7-1.
PF Jushay Rockett (AZ Western/Alaska-Fairbanks) scored 13 pts and grabbed 5 rebs for the winners. Ctr Mike Martin (West LA) and Ctr Tom Granado (Citrus/Concordia/Mexico) each came off the bench to score 5 pts.
PG Ervin Ware (Mt. SAC) started for the Cheaters II and did not score but had game-highs of 10 asts and 3 steals. SG Tim Austin (Cypress/Hawaii-Hilo) also started and had 3 pts and 5 rebs, while PF Donald Lee (Pierce/CSUB/IBL) came off the bench for 2 pts and 7 rebs.
In earlier action, SF Derrick O'Neil (Florida CC/Florida Gulf Coast/NBDL) scored 23 pts and added 11 rebs, 2 asts and 4 steals for the Nova Stars in a 68-62 loss to COA.
PF Deon Marcus (Pasadena/ABA) had 11 pts for the Nova Stars, and PG Mark Peters (SBVC/UC Riverside/ABA) had 9 pts, a team-high 5 asts and 2 steals.
PG J.R. Lewis (LA Trade Tech/Fresno Pacific) started for the winners and had 4 pts, 7 rebs, 4 asts and 4 steals.
The next game saw Hank's Houdini All-Stars, coached by former Compton, Fullerton and Mt. SAC coach Allen Caveness, race past the Stingrays, 77-57, to improve to 6-2 on the season.
SG Tim Johnson (LA Trade Tech/Cameron) scored 18 pts, PG Antonio Biglow (Mt. SAC/Montana State) had 17 pts, 5 rebs, 5 asts and 4 steals and SF Garrett "G-Money" Nevels (Mt. SAC/Hawaii) had 15 pts and 5 rebs to lead the Houdinis to the easy win.
Ctr Darnell Martin (Mt. SAC/CSDH) started and had 4 pts, 5 rebs and 3 steals, and PF Josh White (Mt. SAC) had 4 pts, 2 rebs and 2 steals. SF Jamaal Barnes (Mt. SAC) and SF Dontay Sanford both saw brief action for the winners but did not score.
For the Stingrays, SF Robbie Robinson (Riverside/CS Fullerton), who earned Drew League Player of the Week honors in Week 3, had a double-double with 12 pts, a game-high 11 rebs, 2 asts and 2 blocked shots. Ctr Ephraim Ekanem (Irvine Valley/N Arizona) also started and had 2 pts and 2 rebs. PG Corey McIntosh (Pasadena/Fullerton/Iowa State/Augustana/Bulgaria), who led Fullerton to an undefeated season and state championship in 2006, did not score but had 2 asts.
In the day's third game, retired NBA star Baron Davis scored 19 pts but SG Justin Johnson (Citrus/Concordia/NBDL) helped out with 14 pts and 4 asts for the Cheaters in an 82-71 win over Problems.
SF Van Girard (Cerritos/CSDH) came off the bench for the winners for 8 pts, 7 rebs, 3 asts and a steal. PF Kevin Lewis (Compton/Wyoming) started and had 4 pts and 2 rebs.
For Problems, SF Steve Alford (Bakersfield/W Washington) scored a team-high 17 pts and also had 3 rebs and 2 asts. SG Dejean Prejean (LA City/Cal State LA) had a double-double with 11 pts and 11 rebs, and also dished out a team-best 7 asts and grabbed 3 steals. PF Joseph Taylor (LA City/Wyoming/China) had 8 pts, 5 asts and 2 blocks. PF Kilpatrick McCauley (Santa Monica) came off the bench for 7 pts and 4 rebs, and SF Nick Sanderson (Canyons/BYU), still going strong well into his 40s, came off the bench for 6 pts on a pair of 3-pointers.
The next game saw NBA veteran Brandon Jennings explode for 57 points, the most scored in a Drew League game in nearly three years, as The Clozers pulled away late for a 107-84 win over the Soleclinics. Jennings scored 26 of his points in the 4th quarter as the Clozers lived up to their name, expanding a modest 4-point lead late in the 3rd quarter to a 23-point blowout.
SF Shelton Boykin (Antelope Valley/LA Trade Tech) came off the bench for the winners and had 4 pts, 6 rebs and 2 steals. SG Steve Mallory (Mt. SAC/Norfolk State) had 4 pts and 3 rebs, and PG Eric Flournoy (LA Southwest/Cal State LA) did not score but dished out 2 asts.
For the Soleclinics, a team led by 2014 High School McDonald's All-American Stanley Johnson, who had 27 pts and 12 rebs, SG Steve Moore (Santa Ana/Arizona State/Sweden) was the 6th man and came off the bench for 10 pts and 8 rebs. SF Jarion Henry (Cerritos) saw brief action and did not score. SG A.J. Gasporra (Citrus/Concordia) was the team's coach and inserted himself into the lineup for a couple minutes in the third quarter but also did not score.
In the 4:45 game, SG Jeff Ledbetter aka "The Unabomber" (Irvine Valley/Idaho/Brazil) scored 7 pts and added 6 rebs, 5 asts and 4 steals to help CABC to a 77-65 win over Hank's Bulldogs.
CABC featured onetime Arizona standout Kyle Fogg, who had 28 pts, and UC Irvine Ctr Mamadou Ndiaye, who stands 7-foot-6 and had 10 pts, 5 rebs and 3 blocked shots.
Ctr Tyrone Riley (LA City/San Francisco/overseas) matched up against Ndiaye, but after practicing against 7-foot, 280-pound Tony Key for 2 years with the Cubs had enough moves to score 12 pts and grab 9 rebs. But the lackluster play of NBA veteran Andre Miller, who had just 8 pts and sat out the entire 4th quarter, doomed the Bulldogs.
PG Justin "Speedy" Barnwell (Santa Monica) started and had 6 pts and a team-high 5 asts for the Bulldogs, and PF James Boyd, who briefly played football at West LA, had 4 pts and a game-high 14 rebs. PF Elliott Berry (Pasadena/UC Riverside) had 4 pts and 4 rebs.
May 30: JBL Pro-Am, Hollywood, CA
SF Tylon Bickham (LA Southwest) scored 6 of his game-high 20 pts in OT to help Ubuntu to a 90-88 win over Zone Life in a third-round JBL playoff game Saturday at Hollywood HS.
Ubuntu held an 11-point lead at the half, but Zone Life rallied to tie the score at 66 on a putback basket by SF Van Girard (Cerritos/CS Dominguez Hills) with about 7 minutes left. Ubuntu then took a 77-71 lead after a 3-point play by Ctr Shannen Garner (LA Southwest) with 4:05 left, but Zone Life tied it at 81 with 1:15 left and the game went to overtime with the score tied at 83.
In OT, neither team made a field goal, but Bickham made 6 free throwss, surpassing Zone Life's point total for the extra period. He made 2 of 3 after being fouled trying a 3-point shot early in OT and Ubuntu held a narrow lead the rest of the way.
Bickham's 20 pts included 3 three-pointers, and he also had 6 rebs, 3 asts and a steal. PG Eules Thompson (LA Southwest) had 18 pts, 6 rebs, 3 asts before fouling out late in the 4th quarter. Garner had a double-double with 17 pts and a team-high 10 rebs, as did SF Joseph Morgan (LA Trade Tech/Morgan State), who had 16 pts and a game-high 10 asts. PF LaCurtis Sumlin (West LA/Chico State) had 11 pts, 4 rebs, 2 steals and a blocked shot for the winners. SF Roy Walker (LA Southwest/The Master's College) came off the bench for 6 pts and 7 rebs.
For Zone Life, Girard scored a team-high 18 pts and also had 9 rebs, 2 asts, 2 blocks and 2 steals. Ctr Tom Granado (Citrus/Concordia) had 16 pts, 7 rebs and 3 blocks before fouling out with 2:44 left in regulation. PG Guiressi Grimes (West Hills/Washington Adventist) had 8 pts, 6 rebs, 5 asts, 2 blocks and a steal.
In the day's second game, PF Kevin Lewis (Compton/Wyoming) scored 23 pts and grabbed 12 rebs to lead the Street Kings to a 68-62 win over Doba Sports.
The Street Kings led by as many as 14 points in the first half, but Doba Sports took a 47-45 lead on a 3-pointer by Ctr Leon Gibson late in the third quarter. The Street Kings answered with a 9-1 run to take a 6-point lead early in the fourth quarter and held a narrow lead the rest of the way.
The Street Kings featured an fascinating combination of league veterans, including longtime pro PG Denarryl Rice (Arkansas Tech), who had 13 pts and 10 asts (after a small adjustment) and 42-year-old Ctr David Vik (Washington State), who had 12 pts and 5 rebs. PF Aaron Edwards (San Bernardino Valley/E New Mexico) had 3 pts, 5 rebs, 2 asts, 2 blocks and 2 steals. SF Olajuwon Anderson (LA Trade Tech) came off the bench for 5 pts and 4 rebs.
For Doba Sports, PG Lateef McMullan (Citrus/Portland State) scored a team-high 23 pts and also had 5 rebs, 3 asts, 3 steals and a blocked shot. Gibson had 21 pts and a game-high 15 rebs. SG Darius Middleton (Citrus) had just 1 point but had a team-high 5 asts. PF Darryl Mathews (West LA) had 3 pts and a rebound in limited time off the bench.
In the day's third game, SG Victor Evans (LA Pierce) came off the bench but had 14 pts, 6 rebs, 3 asts and a steal to lead The Revolution to an easy 77-61 win over the Bakersfield Ballers.
Bakersfield trailed by just 4 points at 18-14 after the first quarter, thanks largely to 10 first-quarter points by PF Steve Alford (Bakersfield CC). But the Revolution pushed its lead to double digits by halftime and led easily the entire second half.
SF Josh Gouch (Mt. San Jacinto/CS San Bernardino) also came off the bench for The Revolution and had 11 pts and 4 rebs. PF Joel Brokenbrough (Fullerton/Cal State LA) started and had 8 pts and 5 rebs, and Ctr Shakir Johnson (Santa Monica/Metro State) also started and had 8 pts and 4 rebs. ctr Andrew Young (Monterey Peninsula/Texas A&M/CS San Bernardino) had 8 pts and 7 rebs.
For Bakersfield, Alford scored 15 pts to tie for game honors. SG Vincent Harris aka "Hot Dog Water" (Porterville) also had 15 pts and added 9 rebs, 2 asts and 4 steals. Ctr Bobby Fisher (Bakersfield CC) had 11 pts and 7 rebs, and SF Chris Clayton (Antelope Valley/LA Southwest) had 10 pts. PF Corey Hall (Ventura/CS Bakersfield) came off the bench for 5 pts and 4 rebs.
In the day's finale, rapper The Game (aka Jayceon Taylor) stole the show with a 34-point performance that included 7 three-pointers, several of which were from well behind the 3-point line, in Money Gang's 86-78 win over LoneStar B & C.
But The Game had plenty of support from teammates PG Franklin Session (Saddleback/Weber State) and PF Kwame Alexander (Irvine Valley/CS San Bernardino). Session, who already has been named Drew League Player of the Week twice this summer, had 19 pts, including 3 three-pointers, plus 10 rebs, 6 asts and 3 steals, while Alexander had 17 pts and a game-high 17 rebs.
PG Lance Bailey also started for the Money Gang and had 6 pts, 9 rebs and 2 asts. SF Jeff Ledbetter (Irvine Valley/Idaho) also started and had 2 pts and 4 rebs.
For LoneStar B&C, former Long Beach State guard Brandon Nevens had a huge game with 20 pts, 14 rebs, 7 asts and 6 steals. PG Chris Lawrence (Long Beach CC/Jamestown) flirted with a triple-double before finishing with 16 pts, 8 rebs and 7 asts.
May 17: JBL Pro-Am, Hollywood, CA
PG Darius Middleton (Citrus) nailed a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of overtime to lift Doba Sports to a 78-75 win over Pasadena in a first-round JBL Playoff game Saturday at Hollywood HS.
Middleton combined with fellow Citrus CC alumn SG Lateef McMullan (Portland State) to lead Doba Sports to the unexpectedly tight win. McMullan led the winners with 25 pts and added 4 rebs and 6 asts, while Middleton had 16 pts, 4 rebs and 2 asts. Ctr Leon Gibson (Navarro/Houston) had a monster game for Doba Sports with 22 pts and 20 rebs.
SF Daryl Arnold led Pasadena with 28 pts and he also had 10 rebs, 6 asts, 2 steals and a blocked shot. PF Givon Crump (Pasadena/CS Dominguez Hills) came off the bench for 21 pts. SF Evan Brooks (Pasadena) had 10 pts, 4 rebs and 3 asts, and SF Arnie Hollis (Santa Ana/Santa Monica) had 7 pts and 7 rebs. PG Josh Thomas (Pierce) started for Pasadena and did not score but dished out 4 asts.
In the day's first game, five players scored in double digits for The Revolution in a 95-65 romp past Hoopstop.net in another first-round playoff match-up.
SG Julius Bilbrew (Antelope Valley/Fresno State) and SG Emerson Castaneda (Glendale) scored 13 pts each to lead the winners. SF Justin Archie (Lindsey Wilson/overseas) had 12 pts, 6 rebs, 7 asts and 4 steals, and Ctr Mike Martin (LA Valley/West LA) had 12 pts and 6 rebs. Ctr Andrew Young (Monterey Peninsula/Texas A&M/CS San Bernardino) just missed a double-double with 10 pts and 9 rebs.
Every player on The Revolution scored at least one basket. PF Joel Brokenbrough (Fullerton) had 8 pts and 7 rebs, and SF Josh Gouch (Mt. San Jacinto/CS San Bernardino) had 6 pts. SF Victor Evans (Pierce) arrived around game time and saw limited playing time but scored 5 pts.
In the day's finale, PF Marcellus Jackson (Cerritos/Prairie View A&M) had a double-double with 18 pts and 10 rebs to help Three Tier Entertainment to a 74-66 win over No Limit.
Jackson came off the bench, but as Three Tier had just 6 players available he saw plenty of playing time and teamed with onetime NBA forward Tony Farmer to help his team get the win. Farmer had 14 pts and 9 rebs. SG Courtney Beach (Skyline) started and had 10 pts, 3 rebs, 4 asts and 2 steals.
JBL legend SF Moses Edun (Auburn/Alabama State) led No Limit with 20 pts and added 12 rebs, 5 asts and 4 steals. Ctr Saul Langston had 16 pts and PF Joe Udeoji (San Jose State) had 14 for No Limit.
April 27: JBL Pro-Am, Hollywood, CA
PG Horace Wormely (Pasadena/Vanguard/NBDL/China) scored 23 pts, including 4 free throws in the final 18 seconds to clinch the win for Citi Team Blazers in a showdown against the previously-unbeaten Street Kings.It was a showdown between two of the top three teams in the league, but the Blazers led virtually all the way in a 90-83 victory. SF Jarion Henry (Cerritos) chipped in with 2 pts, 2 rebs, 2 asts and a steal for the winners. The result creates a 3-way tie atop the JBL standings with a week to go in the regular season.
SF Nick Porter (Compton/Creighton) led the Street Kings with 19 pts and added 7 rebs, 3 asts, a block and 2 steals. SG Nick Sanderson (Canyons/BYU) had 16 pts, including 4 threes, plus 4 rebs and 2 asts. SF Aaron Edwards (San Bernardino Valley/E New Mexico/Australia) had 9 pts, 6 rebs, 2 steals, a block and an assist. Ctr Kevin Lewis (Compton/Wyoming) came off the bench for 2 pts, 7 rebs and 2 blocks, and SF Olajuwon Anderson (LA Trade Tech) came off the bench for 6 pts and 3 rebs.
That was just one of a full slate of games Sunday at the JBL, a pro-am league that features players from junior college, college, overseas pros and a handful of former NBA stars. There were 9 games and I hung around long enough to watch 6 of them.
In the closest game of the day, PG Sam Natt (Mt. San Jacinto) scored 20 pts and added 7 rebs and 8 asts to help Mentally Fit to an 85-82 double-overtime win over Ubuntu.
Ubuntu held a 72-67 lead with 17 seconds left, but Natt made two three-pointers, the second with 8 seconds remaining in regulation time, to get his team even. Then in the second overtime his two free throws lifted Mentally Fit to the target score of 85 to clinch the win.
Ctr Joshua White (Mt. SAC/Lindsey Wilson) led the winners with 28 pts, including 3 three-pointers, and added 5 rebs, 5 blocks, 3 asts and 3 steals. PF Billy Glenn (Cerritos) started and had 8 pts, 2 rebs, 3 asts, 2 blocks and 3 steals.
Ctr Shannen Garner (LA Southwest) had a tremendous game for Ubuntu with game-highs of 29 pts and 22 rebs, a performance marred only by missed putback attempts at the end of regulation time and the first overtime that would have given his team the victory. He also added 2 asts and 3 steals.
PG Eules Thompson (LA Southwest/S Utah) had 21 pts, 3 asts and 3 steals, and SG Joseph Morgan (LA Trade Tech/Morgan State) had 12 pts, 7 rebs, 3 asts and 2 steals. SF Ty Bickham (LA Southwest) chipped in with 7 pts and 4 rebs off the bench. PF LaCurtis Sumlin (West LA/Chico State) started and had 4 pts, 7 rebs, 3 asts and 3 blocked shots. SF Roy Walker (LA Southwest/The Master's College) came off the bench for 3 pts, 10 rebs, 4 asts and 2 steals.
One of the earlier games also went to overtime - just one overtime, though - and PG Mark Peters (San Bernardino Valley/UC Riverside/overseas) had 18 pts, 9 rebs, 4 asts and a steal to lead the Nova Stars to a 67-64 win over the Ball Players.
The Nova Stars jumped out to an early 20-3 lead, only to see the Ball Players rally behind longtime NBA guard Cuttino Mobley, who scored 22 pts for his team.
Ctr Deon Marcus (Pasadena) had 15 pts, 5 rebs, 2 asts, 2 blocks and a steal for the winners, and SF Derrick O'Neil (Fla Gulf Coast/Fla Gulf Coast) had 13 pts, 6 rebs, 3 asts, 3 steals and a blocked shot.
SG Dajuan Wilson (Cerritos) came off the bench for the Ball Players and had 6 pts, 9 rebs, an assist and a steal.
Another game ended in a tie - but was technically a forfeit game so no overtime was played when Goliath, which featured former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, ended up in a 73-all stalemate with Three Tier Entertainment.
SF Kenny Barnes (Hartnell/San Francisco) led Goliath with 16 pts, and 7-foot-1 Ctr Rashid Byrd (E Oklahoma JC/NBDL) had 13 pts, 11 rebs and 4 blocked shots. Arenas had 9 pts and 5 asts in very limited playing time as Goliath was awarded the win via forfeit.
For Three Tier, SG Courtney Beach scored 19 pts and added 7 rebs, 4 asts and 4 steals. Onetime Golden State Warrior Tony Farmer had 9 pts, 14 rebs and 7 asts. And SF Tre Brewer (Fullerton/San Bernardino Valley/CS San Bernardino), who had 19 pts, had perhaps the most important contribution; he stayed over from the previous game to give Three Tier five players, so at least everyone got to play even if the outcome of the game was already determined.
There was one blowout on the afternoon, and that came when Lights Out raced past Go Time for a 70-50 victory that gave the winners a share of first place by the end of the day.
Lights out jumped out to a 50-24 halftime lead, and the clock ran the entire second half. SF Eric Williams (Long Beach CC/Tarleton State/overseas) led the winners with 17 pts and added 5 rebs and 2 steals.
Several other players on the winning side had JC connections. SG Tim Johnson (LA Trade Tech/Cameron) had 9 pts and 5 asts, and SG Quentin Watkins (Fresno/Cal State LA) had 8 pts. PF Yashin Ali (LA Trade Tech had 7 pts, 5 rebs and 2 asts. PG Donja Brooks (LA Trade Tech) had 2 pts and 3 rebs.
For Lights Out, SG Robert Valentine (Glendale) scored 10 pts and had 4 rebs. PF David Day (West LA/Alabama State) had 4 pts and 5 rebs, and Ctr Walter White (Antelope Valley) had 2 pts and 2 rebs.
And in the 7:30 game, SF Shelton Boykin (Antelope Valley/TBA) scored 23 of his game-high 30 pts in the second half to lead The Entertainers to a 76-71 win over The Revolution.
The Revolution held a 12-point lead in the third quarter before Boykin took over. But the Entertainers outscored the Revolution, 24-14, in the fourth quarter to come away with the win.
Ctr Rico Myles (LA Trade Tech/Morgan State) also had a huge game for the winners with 16 pts, 15 rebs and 4 steals. PF Darnell Christopher (LA Trade Tech) had 4 pts, 3 rebs, 3 asts and a steal, and PF Ellis Bivens (LA Trade Tech) had 4 pts and 7 rebs. PG Andre Blanding (Compton/LA Trade Tech) saw brief action but did not score.
For The Revolution, SG Victor Evans (LA Pierce) had a vintage Kirilenko-like statistical line of 18 pts, 5 rebs, 5 asts, 5 blocks and 5 steals. SG Julius Bilbrew (Antelope Valley/Fresno State) came off the bench for 14 pts, including 4 threes, and 3 steals. SG Emerson Castaneda (Glendale) had 9 pts, PF Andrew Young (Monterey Peninsula/Texas A&M/CS San Bernardino) had 8 pts and 3 rebs, and SF Josh Gouch (Mt. San Jacinto/CS San Bernardino) had 5 pts, 4 rebs, 4 asts, a block and a steal. Ctr Zachary Hollis (Antelope Valley) started and had 3 pts and 2 rebs, and PF Joel Brokenbrough (Fullerton) came off the bench for 5 pts and 6 rebs. PG Amin Sahwani (Fullerton) also saw brief action but did not score.
Shootouts
Cerritos Summer Shootout
Fall JUCO Jamboree