SG Jamal McClerkin had 18 pts while Ctr Sahdi Odu and SF Minas Yanku both scored in double figues as Moorpark stayed a half-game behind Ventura in the WSC-North race with a 62-59 win over visiting LA Pierce Saturday night at Raider Pavilion.
Moorpark (6-12, 2-1) trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half and 7 points early in the second half, but gradually took command of the game as the second half progressed. The Moorpark lead reached 9 points with just over five minutes left, and the Raiders held off a late Pierce rally by making 5 of 6 free throws in the final 28.3 seconds.
Pierce (5-10, 2-2) started out well, jumping out to a 10-3 lead as Moorpark missed 8 of its first 9 shots. The lead reached 11 points at 22-11 after a driving lay-up by PG Khiry Williams with 8:20 left in the first half.
But then Pierce hit an offensive drought of its own, scoring just two points over the next six minutes to let Moorpark back into the game. The Raiders went on a 14-2 run over that time, taking a 25-24 lead on a lay-up by Odu with 2:42 left in the first half.
Pierce recovered with an 8-0 run to take a 32-25 lead after three straight baskets by Williams in the last two minutes of the half. McClerkin converted a 3-point play for Moorpark with 19.6 seconds left in the half to trim the Brahmas' lead to four at 32-28 at the break.
Pierce pushed its lead back to seven points at 35-28 in the first minute of the second half. But then Moorpark scored seven straight points to tie the game. The score was last tied at 39 with just over 12 minutes left.
Moorpark took a 41-39 lead on a driving lay-up by Yanku. The lead reached nine points at 54-45 after a 3-pointer by PG Greg Parker with just over five minutes to go, completing a 26-10 extended run for the Raiders.
Pierce made a late rally, cutting the margin to two points after a driving lay-up by PG Josh Thomas with 37.3 seconds left. But then the Brahmas were forced to foul, and Moorpark made five of six free throws - two by McClerkin, one by Yanku and two by Parker - in the final 28.3 seconds to clinch the win.
McClerkin finished with 18 pts and a game-high 11 rebs for the game's only double-double. Odu had 15 pts and 7 rebs, and Yanku filled the stat sheet with 13 pts, 5 rebs, 2 asts, 2 blocks and 3 steals. Moorpark won despite shooting just 31.6% from the floor, but were helped by Pierce's 29 personal fouls that resulted in the Raiders getting 37 free throws, of which they made 24.
Pierce was led by Thomas, who had 18 pts, and Williams, who came off the bench for 11. The Brahmas were without leading scorer SF Hassen Stephens and also hurt their own cause by making just 7 of 16 free throws in the second half and 12 of 23 overall.
box score
Saturday, January 14, 2012 - 7 pm
at Raider Pavilion, Moorpark College
WSC-North
LA Pierce Brahmas 59:
3-Loucious Coleman, SG - 1/3 fg, 2/4 ft, 2 reb, 1 ast, 5 pf, 4 pts
21-Anthony Morton, C - 1/4 fg, 1/2 ft, 5 reb, 1 ast, 5 blk, 1 stl, 5 pf, 3 pts
31-Michael Claus, PF - 1/2 fg, 2/2 ft, 3 reb, 1 ast, 1 pf, 4 pts
33-Arseneo Jimenez, SF - 2/5 fg, 1/2 ft, 6 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk, 4 pf, 5 pts
55-Josh Thomas, PG - 8/12 fg, 2/6 ft, 1 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 3 pf, 18 pts
15-Ben Burris, F - 1/5 fg, 2/2 ft, 7 reb, 1 stl, 2 pf, 4 pts
25-Tre Holden, G - 3/5 fg, 2 reb, 2 stl, 5 pf, 7 pts
32-Cameron Broomi, C - 0/4 fg, 1/2 ft, 2 reb, 1 blk, 1 pt
23-Javael Boykins, F - 1/4 fg, 0/1 ft, 8 reb, 1 blk, 2 pf, 2 pts
1-Khiry Williams, G - 5/12 fg, 1/2 ft, 5 reb, 2 pf, 11 pts
11-Adam Ruka, C - 0/1 fg, 2 reb, 0 pts
team rebounds: 2
Totals: 23/57 fg (.404), 12/23 ft (.522), 45 reb, 7 ast, 9 blk, 6 stl, 29 pf, 59 pts
3-pt fg (1): Holden
Fouled Out: Morton 4:06 left, Coleman 2:39 left, Holden 54.7 seconds left
Turnovers (20): Jimenez 4, Coleman 3, Thomas 3, Holden 3, Williams 3, Morton 2, Burris, Boykins
Moorpark Raiders 62:
1-Jamal McClerkin, SG - 5/18 fg, 8/8 ft, 11 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 2 pf, 18 pts
2-Minas Yanku, SF - 3/7 fg, 7/12 ft, 5 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk, 3 stl, 3 pf, 13 pts
10-Greg Parker, PG - 2/5 fg, 4/4 ft, 5 reb, 5 ast, 4 pf, 9 pts
33-Steven Brodie, PF - 1/6 fg, 0/1 ft, 3 reb, 3 stl, 3 pf, 3 pts
44-Sahdi Odu, C - 6/10 fg, 3/8 ft, 7 reb, 1 pf, 15 pts
4-Coltrane Powdrill, F - 1/9 fg, 1/2 ft, 5 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 5 pf, 3 pts
15-Toki Oshodi, F - 0/2 fg, 0 pts
22-Tarek Fattal, G - 1/2 ft, 1 pt
team rebounds: 7
Totals: 18/57 fg (.316), 24/37 ft (.649), 43 reb, 12 ast, 4 blk, 7 stl, 18 pf, 62 pts
3-pt fg (2): Parker, Brodie
Fouled Out: Powdrill 4:56 left
Turnovers (15): Yanku 6, Parker 3, Powdrill 3, Brodie, Odu, Fattal
Halftime Score: LA Pierce 32, Moorpark 28
Updated Records: Moorpark 6-12, 2-1 in WSC-N; LA Pierce 5-10, 2-2 in WSC-N
Pierce led by 11 at 22-11 in the 1st half and by 7 at 35-28 in the 2nd half.
Moorpark led by 9 at 54-45 with just over five minutes left.
Pierce got within 2 at 57-55 with 37.3 seconds left. Moorpark made 5/6 FTs after that to clinch the win.
