PF Rod Harmon scored the last 5 points of the game, including a 25-foot 3-pointer with 1:10 left in overtime, to help #10 Santa Ana (11-3) to an 82-78 win over host #4 Ventura (10-3) in the first round of the Roy Gilmore Invitational tournament Friday night.
Harmon’s three put the Dons ahead, 80-78, after Ventura had taken a 4-point lead by scoring the first 4 points of overtime. Ventura had also scored the last 5 points of regulation time, rallying from a 74-69 deficit with 2:18 left to force overtime.
Each team led by as many as 10 points during regulation time, with Santa Ana jumping on top, 19-9, in the games opening minutes. Ventura rallied to tie the game at 25 after a basket by SG Eric Dunbar and take a lead moments later on a jumper by SF Danny Benson, and the Pirates held a 9-point edge at halftime, 46-37.
In the second half, Santa Ana’s James Silvie, sidelined by foul trouble for most of the first half, scored a pair of baskets to cut the Ventura lead to 5. But the Pirates stretched the advantage out to 10 points at 53-43 after a coast-to-coast lay-up by Dunbar with just over 17 minutes left in regulation.
But Santa Ana rallied, tying the game on a free throw by PG Mike Hernandez with 7:49 left that made it 64-64. The lead went back and forth for the next several minutes, with Santa Ana going in front, 70-69, on a pair of free throws by Hernandez. A basket by SG Tyre Thompson and a driving lay-up by Hernandez made it 74-69 Dons with 2:18 left. Hernandez also drew a foul on that play, and went to the line to try to complete the 3-point play.
However, not only did Hernandez miss the free throw, but Ventura PF Anthony Pimble was fouled going for the rebound, and with both teams in the bonus, headed to the free throw line. He made both free throws to make it 74-71. Twenty-four seconds later, he went back to the line and made 1 of 2 free throws to make it 74-72 with 1:54 left. And Ventura tied the game at 74 when Benson scored on a spinning drive to the basket with 1:20 remaining.
Neither team scored again in regulation, though each team had an excellent chance in the final seconds. First, Hernandez narrowly missed a contested lay-up, and then Ventura’s Dunbar missed a pair of free throws with 7.6 seconds left. So the game went to overtime.
And early in overtime, Ventura took command, going ahead on a runner by Benson and a lay-up by Tavares after a feed from PG Troy Watson. But then Santa Ana drew to within 3 points after a free throw by Hernandez, and got to within a point after a pair of free throws by Hernandez with 1:59 left in overtime on Watson’s fifth personal foul.
That set the stage for Harmon’s deep three from beyond the top of the key with 1:10 left to put the Dons ahead, 80-78. Ventura had several chances to answer, but after Tavares missed from in close with under 10 seconds left, Harmon got the rebound. After a timeout, the ball was inbounded to Harmon, who made a pair of free throws with 3.6 seconds left to seal the win.
For Santa Ana, Hernandez had a huge game with a game-high 27 points plus team-highs of 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Thompson came off the bench to score 19 pts and Silvie had 12. Harmon finished with 11 points, but of course 5 of those came in OT.
For Ventura, Tavares led the way with 24 pts while also pulling down 8 rebs. Benson and Dunbar each scored 16 pts. And Pimble had a magnificent night with 14 pts and a game-high 18 boards.
box score
Friday, December 15, 2006 – 7 pm
Roy Gilmore Invitational Tournament – Ventura – First Round
Santa Ana Dons:
4-D’Andre Denan, SF – 4/8 fg, 0/2 ft, 5 reb, 1 ast, 4 stl, 4 pf, 9 pts
15-Matt Goodloe, SG – 3 reb, 1 ast, 1 pf, 0 pts
21-Michael Hernandez, PG – 8/14 fg, 11/19 ft, 7 reb, 5 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl, 1 pf, 27 pts
23-James Silvie, PF – 5/13 fg, 2/2 ft, 5 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 12 pts
41-Sean Luecke, C – 1/ 2 fg, 5 reb, 1 stl, 3 pf, 2 pts
20-Tyre Thompson, G – 7/20 fg, 5/9 ft, 2 reb, 1 blk, 4 pf, 19 pts
45-Rod Harmon, F – 4/8 fg, 2/2 ft, 5 reb, 1 blk, 2 stl, 4 pf, 11 pts
31-Brandon Peterson, C – 1/5 fg, 0/1 ft, 2 reb, 2 pf, 2 pts
32-Raymont Jennings, G – 0/1 fg, 1 pf, 0 pts
25-John Staats, F – 0/1 fg, 2 reb, 0 pts
5-Karl Dehasa, G – 0 pts
team rebounds: 5
Totals: 30/72 fg (.417), 20/35 ft (.571), 41 reb, 8 ast, 3 blk, 10 stl, 24 pf, 82 pts
3-pt fg (2): Denan, Harmon
Flagrant Foul: Peterson
Turnovers (15): Hernandez 4, Denan 3, Thompson 3, Silvie 2, Goodloe, Luecke, team
Ventura Pirates 78:
5-Danny Benson, SF – 7/12 fg, 2/5 ft, 4 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 16 pts
11-Andre Jamerson, SG – 0/4 fg, 2 reb, 3 ast, 5 pf, 0 pts
42-Troy Watson, PG – 1/6 fg, 1 reb, 1 ast, 5 pf, 2 pts
20-Anthony Pimble, PF – 3/6 fg, 8/9 ft, 18 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 1 stl, 2 pf, 14 pts
4-Danny Tavares, C – 9/20 fg, 6/8 ft, 8 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 4 pf, 24 pts
55-Tavaris Gilbert, F – 2/3 fg, 6 reb, 3 pf, 4 pts
22-Robert Wright, G – 1/3 fg, 0/1 ft, 4 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 3 pf, 2 pts
15-Eric Dunbar, G – 7/14 fg, 1/ 4 ft, 6 reb, 4 pf, 16 pts
team rebounds: 3
Totals: 30/68 fg (.441), 17/27 ft (.630), 52 reb, 10 ast, 4 blk, 4 stl, 28 pf, 78 pts
team rebounds: 3
Fouled Out: Jamerson 4:44 left in regulation, Watson 1:59 left in OT
Turnovers (24): Benson 6, Dunbar 5, Pimble 4, Tavares 4, Wright 2, Jamerson, Watson, Gilbert
Halftime Score: Ventura 46, Santa Ana 37
End of Regulation: Tied at 74
Updated Records: Santa Ana (#10-South, #18-Calif) 11-3, Ventura (#4-South, #8-Calif) 10-3
VC scored the first 4 pts of OT but SA scored the last 8. Harmon scored the last 5 pts of the game, including a 28-foot three that gave the Dons a 80-78 lead
