SF Rudy Smith had 22 pts and Ctr Kellen Lee posted a double-double with 17 pts and 12 rebs to lead LA City (9-5) to an 87-71 win over Long Beach (6-9) in the championship game of the Crown City Holiday Classic Saturday at Pasadena.
In a matchup of two teams that reached the state tournament last season but were off to slow starts this year, LA City took command right from the start and led wire-to-wire. And the Cubs now seem to be on the right track with their 4th straight win.
The Cubs led 12-2 in the early going as Long Beach missed its first 11 shot attempts. The margin reached 18 at 34-16 before a late first-half rally narrowed the margin to 13 points at halftime, with LACC ahead, 36-23.
In the second half, Long Beach closed the gap to 7 points after a free throw by PG Emmanuel Green made it 51-44, but then LA City pulled away again. A basket by Smith on a fast break and a KG-esque turnaround baseline jumper by Lee pushed the Cub lead back into double digits at 55-44. Long Beach rallied again to trail by 8 at 60-52, but a putback basket by Lee and a score by SG Eric Nelson on a feed from Smith pushed the lead back to 12 at 64-52 and the Cubs led by double digits the rest of the way.
In addition to Smith and Lee, other top performers for LA City included Nelson, who had 16 pts, 6 rebs and 7 asts, and PG Valiant Jones, who had 11 pts. PF Jay Brown had 8 pts and 10 rebs, most of which came in the first half. SG Treyvon Johnson came off the bench to chip in with 8 pts.
For Long Beach, SG Deon Tresvant led the way with 22 pts, including 4 threes. PF Eric Williams had 21 pts and 9 rebs, and Ctr Chris Brown had 13 pts and 9 boards.
box score
Saturday, December 16, 2006 - 4 pm
at Hutto-Patterson Gym, Pasadena
Crown City Holiday Classic - Championship Game
Long Beach Vikings 71:
4-Deon Tresvant, SG - 7/19 fg, 4/4 ft, 1 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 4 pf, 22 pts
5-Emmanuel Green, PG - 1/2 fg, 5/6 ft, 7 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 4 pf, 7 pts
11-Matt Richard, SF - 3/10 fg, 5 reb, 1 stl, 4 pf, 6 pts
33-Chris Brown, C - 5/17 fg, 3/5 ft, 9 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 2 stl, 4 pf, 13 pts
50-Eric Williams, PF - 9/23 fg, 3/6 ft, 9 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 2 tl, 3 pf, 21 pts
44-Jesse Chimuku, F - 1 stl, 0 pts
2-Kenneth Hurd, G - 1/5 fg, 1 reb, 6 ast, 3 stl, 4 pf, 2 pts
42-Reggie Richardson, F - 0/1 fg, 2 pf, 0 pts
52-Ian Brown, C - 0 pts
team rebounds: 26/77 fg (.338), 15/21 ft (.714), 39 reb, 12 ast, 4 blk, 13 stl, 26 pf, 71 pts
3-pt fg (4): Tresvant 4
Intentional Foul: Tresvant
Fouled Out: Richard 1:14 left
Turnovers (13): C.Brown 7, Tresvant 4, Williams 2
LA City Cubs 87:
2-Eric Nelson, SG - 4/13 fg, 8/8 ft, 6 reb, 7 ast, 2 stl, 4 pf, 16 pts
5-Valiant Jones, PG - 2/5 fg, 7/8 ft, 3 reb, 1 ast, 3 pf, 11 pts
11-Rudy Smith, SF - 9/15 fg, 4/6 ft, 1 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 22 pts
40-Jay Brown, PF - 4/8 fg, 10 reb, 1 ast, 2 pf, 8 pts
50-Kellen Lee, C - 8/10 fg, 1/2 ft, 12 reb, 1 ast, 3 blk, 1 stl, 3 pf, 17 pts
0-Treyvon Johnson, G - 2/5 fg, 4/6 ft, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 8 pts
22-Owen Brow, F - 0/2 fg, 4/6 ft, 3 reb, 1 pf, 4 pts
33-Perry Baggett, F - 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 1 ast, 0 pts
34-Rickey Gallagher, C - 0/1 fg, 1/2 ft, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 pt
team rebounds: 8
Totals: 29/60 fg (.483), 29/38 ft (.763), 50 reb, 16 ast, 3 blk, 6 stl, 16 pf, 87 pts
3-pt fg (0): none
Technical Foul: Lee (hanging on rim)
Turnovers (19): Johnson 4, Brown 3, Lee 3, Nelson 2, Jones 2, Smith 2, Brow 2, Gallagher
Halftime Score: LA City 36, Long Beach 23
Updated Records: LA City 9-5, Long Beach 6-9
