Dida Pereira made two late 3-pointers, the second with 8.5 seconds left in regulation to tie the game, and Simon Krajcovic scored 10 of his team's 11 points in overtime as #5 Sequoias slipped past #12 Cabrillo Friday in a regional quarterfinal game in Visalia.
Seqouias (19-11) trailed much of the game, by as many as 7 points in the first half and by 4 until Pereira's first 3-pointer with 16.5 seconds left in the second half. After two free throws by Cabrillo's Randy Motilalsingh, Pereira swished his second three from the same spot with 8.5 seconds on the clock to erase a lead Cabrillo had held for the last few minutes of the second half.
In overtime, Krajcovic scored his team's first 10 points, and Sequoias never trailed. Krajcovic, a Loyola-Marymount bounceback from Slovakia, recently returned to action after knee surgery following a torn meniscus in a November game vs. Merced, made a short jumper, a 3-pointer and 5 free throws in 6 attempts in the extra session to power the Giants to the win.
Cabrillo (20-7) jumped out to a 10-4 lead to start the game. Sequoias went on an 8-0 run to take a 12-10 lead midway through the first half, but Cabrillo answered with a 13-0 run to lead, 17-10, after a 3-pointer by Demetrius Rose with juts over 9 minutes left before halftime. The Seahawks also led by 7 at 28-21 after a 3-point basket by Solomon "KT" Taylor and a traditional 3-point play by Rose with 3:20 left in the first half.
Sequouias finished the half with a 9-0 run, taking a 32-30 lead at the break following two free throws by Pereira with 2.9 seconds left in the first half. Those were COS' 9th and 10th free throws of the half, helping keep the Giants afloat despite some cold (32% on 10-for-31) shooting.
Cabrillo scored the first 8 points of the second half to go back in front, 38-32, before foul trouble started hampering the Seahawks. Starters Shelton Black and Brett Reed each picked up his 3rd foul and Stephan Ammentorp picked up his 4th, all in the first 6 minutes of the half.
Sequoias took a 46-44 lead on a 3-pointer by Zac Nuttall with 9:44 left in the second half. But Cabrillo went back in front, 50-48, a minute later, and the lead changed hands several times over the next few minutes. Cabrillo took a 58-57 lead when Taylor scored on an up-and-under move and followed with a 3-pointer with 2:25 left to make it 61-57.
Cabrillo still held a 3-point lead into the final minute. With 33.9 seconds left and Sequoias in possession of the ball, Cabrillo coach Tony Marcopoulos started playing the foul game, sending COS' Derek Check to the line with 33.9 seconds left. He made one of two free throws, missing the second one. Kody Wilson got the rebound for the Giants, but the ball went back to Check, who was called for a charge with 24.2 seconds left, turning the ball back over to Cabrillo, which still held a 61-59 lead.
Sequoias had little choice but to foul, and Motilalsingh made two free thorws with 22.1 seconds left to give Cabrillo a 63-59 lead. But then Marcopoulos abandoned the foul game, and Pereira took advantage of his opportunity, making his first three with 16.5 seconds left to make it 63-62. After two more free throws by Motilalsingh, Pereira again swished a three from the right corner to send the game to overtime, and in the extra frame Krajcovic just took over.
For Sequoias, Pereira finished with team-highs of 26 pts and 10 rebs. Krajcovic had 13 pts, 8 rebs and a game-high 5 asts. Kyle Hurt came off the bench for 12 pts on 4 three-pointers. Check had 8 pts, 4 rebs, 4 asts, 3 blocks and 2 steals, and Nuttall came off the bench for 8 pts, 3 rebs and 3 asts.
For Cabrillo, Taylor led all scorers with 27 pts, though it came on 12-for-30 from the floor. Reed had a double-double with 12 pts and 13 rebs before fouling out in overtime. Rose came off the bench for 16 pts.
The win advances the Sequoias to the regional semifinal Wednesday, when the Giants will either travel to San Francisco to take on top-seeded CCSF or host Sierra.
box score
Friday, February 26, 2016 - 7 pm
at Porter Field House (COS), Visalia
Playoffs - Regional Quarterfinals
Cabrillo Seahawks 70:
4-Solomon KT Taylor, SG - 12/30 fg, 2 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 27 pts
5-Randy Motilalsingh, PG - 0/4 fg, 4/4 ft, 1 reb, 1 ast, 3 pf, 4 pts
23-Brett Reed, SF - 4/9 fg, 4/5 ft, 13 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 5 pf, 12 pts
42-Shelton Black, C - 2/2 ft, 5 reb, 4 blk, 4 pf, 2 pts
44-Stephan Ammentorp, PF - 4 reb, 1 blk, 5 pf, 0 pts
11-Blake Trent, G - 3/6 fg, 3 reb, 8 pts
33-Kyle Snowden, G - 0/1 fg, 1/2 ft, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 pt
34-Demetrius Rose, F - 6/18 fg, 3/3 ft, 3 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl, 2 pf, 16 pts
55-Noah Wheeler, C - 3 pf, 0 pts
35-Joe Maleta, C - 0 pts
team rebounds: 6
Totals: 25/68 fg (.368), 14/16 ft (.875), 39 reb, 7 ast, 6 blk, 7 stl, 24 pf, 70 pts
3-pt fg (6): Taylor 3, Trent 2, Rose
Fouled Out: Reed 4:01 left in OT, Ammentorp 2:46 left in OT
Turnovers (12): Taylor 3, Motilalsingh 3, Rose 3, Reed 2, Black
Sequoias Giants 76:
4-Simon Krajcovic, PG - 3/7 fg, 6/8 ft, 8 reb, 5 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 3 pf, 13 pts
5-Turner Nelson, SG - 0/1 fg, 1 stl, 1 pf, 0 pts
15-Derek Check, SF - 2/9 fg, 3/6 ft, 4 reb, 4 ast, 3 blk, 2 stl, 2 pf, 8 pts
23-Marcus Junior, PF - 0/1 fg, 1/2 ft, 5 reb, 4 pf, 1 pt
32-Dida Pereira, C - 5/14 fg, 14/17 ft, 10 reb, 2 blk, 26 pts
11-Kyle Hurt, G - 4/8 fg, 5 reb, 2 ast, 12 pts
25-Kody Wilson, F - 3/6 fg, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 5 pf, 6 pts
3-Zac Nuttall, G - 3/7 fg, 3 reb, 3 ast, 1 pf, 8 pts
30-Adam Kittrell, C - 1/2 fg, 1 pf, 2 pts
team rebounds: 6
Totals: 21/55 fg (.382), 24/33 ft (.727), 43 reb, 15 ast, 6 blk, 5 stl, 17 pf, 76 pts
3-pt fg (10): Hurt 4, Pereira 2, Nuttall 2, Krajcovic, Check
Fouled Out: Wilson 2:44 left in OT
Turnovers (15): Pereira 4, Krajcovic 3, Junior 3 Wilson 2, Nelson, Check, Nuttall
Halftime Score: Sequoias 32, Cabrillo 30
End of Regulation: Tied at 65
Updated Records: Sequoias (#5-seed) 19-11, Cabrillo (#12-seed) 20-7
Cabrillo led much of the game, by 7 several times in the 1st half and by 6 in the 2nd half.
Sequoias tied it when on Pereira's 3-pointer with 8.5 seconds left in regulation.
Krajcovic scored 10 of COS' 11 points in OT.
