SG Eric Bland and SF Jumah Sutton combined for 39 points and 10 three-pointers off the bench to lead Imperial Valley to a 97-87 win over host Long Beach City Wedneday evening at the LBCC Hall of Champions.
Imperial Valley (4-8) got 47 points from its bench, outscoring Long Beach (5-8) by an astounding 39-point margin, and shot 52% from the floor overall while hitting 12 three-pointers in the game.
Bland and Sutton hit most of those 3-pointers, particularly in the first half when they combined for 7 threes on 8-for-10 combined overall shooting as the Arabs built a 12-point halftime lead. And late in the game, Bland and Sutton each hit a 3-pointer to spur an 18-6 run that put IVC in control of the game.
Neither team led by more than four points until Imperial Valley took a 21-16 lead on a putback basket by SF Geric Leath midway through the first half. Long Beach took a 26-25 lead on a 3-pointer by PG Carlos Sanchez, but Imperial Valley answered with a 12-0 run to take a 37-26 lead.
A 3-pointer by Bland put IVC ahead, 28-26, and a 3-point play by Leath made it 31-26. SG Levar Gamble and Leath combined for 3 lay-ups to complete the run and give the Arabs a 37-26 lead with just over 5 minutes left in the first half.
Long Beach got within four points at 37-33 after a 3-point play by Ctr Tyler Tuliau. But Bland hit back-to-back 3-pointers to push the IVC lead to 14 points at 47-33 with 1:47 left in the first half. PF Mwelu Mataya made two free throws with 3.7 seconds left in the half to make it 53-41 at the break.
Leath hit a 3-pointer to open the second half to push IVC's lead back to 14 points at 49-35. Long Beach answered with a 12-2 run to get back within two points after a basket by SG Ashton Edwards that made it 63-61 with 12:29 left in the game. And LBCC still trailed by just two points at 77-75 with under six minutes to play.
Then Sutton and Bland hit back-to-back three-pointers to push IVC's lead to 84-75 with 4:50 left. A blocked shot by Sutton led to a basket by SF Miles Hamilton that pushed IVC's lead back to double digits at 92-81. Sutton made a free throw with 2:01 left and PG Darius Nesmith scored on a driving lay-up with just over a minute left to make it 95-81 and clinch the win for Imperial Valley.
Sutton finished with 22 pts, including 5 threes, and Bland had 17 pts, also including 5 three-pointers, both off the bench for Imperial Valley. Leath had 18 pts and Nesmith had 14 pts and a team-high 6 asts. PF Michael Angulo had just 4 pts but grabbed a game-high 10 rebs.
For Long Beach, Edwards and Tuliau each scored 24 pts. Tuliau added 9 rebs, 5 asts, 2 steals and a blocked shot, while Edwards added 6 rebs, 3 asts and a steal. SF Reuben R.J. Strickland had 11 pts and Sanchez had 10. Mayata had 10 pts, 8 rebs, 2 asts, 4 blocks and 4 steals before fouling out with 2:01 left. PG Jesse Jones came off the bench for 6 pts and a team-high 6 asts, but he was just 2-for-13 from the floor and the only other points from the LBCC bench was a single basket by SF Austin Jancan.
box score
Wednesday, December 19, 2012 - 5 pm
at Long Beach City College
Imperial Valley Arabs 97:
1-Darius Nesmith, PG - 4/11 fg, 6/8 ft, 3 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl, 1 pf, 14 pts
3-Michael Angulo, PF - 2/3 fg, 10 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 2 stl, 3 pf, 4 pts
4-Levar Gamble, SG - 4/7 fg, 0/1 ft, 6 reb, 4 ast, 4 pf, 8 pts
11-Geric Leath, SF - 6/9 fg, 5/8 ft, 6 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 pf, 18 pts
24-Nathaniel Edwards, C - 3/5 fg, 0/2 ft, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 3 pf, 6 pts
2-Miles Hamilton, F - 2/9 fg, 3/3 ft, 6 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 8 pts
0-Jumah Sutton, F - 6/10 fg, 5/6 ft, 2 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 2 pf, 22 pts
12-Eric Bland, G - 5/8 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 17 pts
team rebounds: 8
Totals: 32/62 fg (.516), 21/30 ft (.700), 46 reb, 21 ast, 6 blk, 6 stl, 18 pf, 97 pts
3-pt fg (12): Sutton 5, Bland 5, Leath, Hamilton
Turnovers (20): Nesmith 5, Leath 4, Gamble 3, Sutton 3, Hamilton 2, Bland 2, Edwards
Long Beach Vikings 87:
3-Carlos Sanchez, PG - 4/13 fg, 3 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 3 pf, 10 pts
4-Reuben RJ Strickland, SF - 4/8 fg, 2/2 ft, 3 reb, 1 ats, 1 stl, 4 pf, 11 pts
5-Ashton Edwards, SG - 10/18 fg, 3/3 ft, 6 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 24 pts
23-Mwelu Mataya, PF - 3/6 fg, 4/4 ft, 8 reb, 2 ast, 4 blk, 4 stl, 5 pf, 10 pts
53-Tyler Tuliau, C - 8/17 fg, 6/8 ft, 9 reb, 5 ast, 1 blk, 2 stl, 3 pf, 24 pts
21-Jesse Jones, G - 2/13 fg, 2/4 ft, 4 reb, 6 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 4 pf, 6 pts
15-Jacob Cheek, F - 0/2 fg, 1 pf, 0 pts
33-Austin Jancan, F - 1/1 fg, 1 reb, 1 pf, 2 pts
1-Cole Clark, G - 0/1 fg, 0 pts
team rebounds: 3
Totals: 32/79 fg (.405), 17/21 ft (.810), 37 reb, 20 ast, 7 blk, 10 stl, 22 pf, 87 pts
3-pt fg (6): Sanchez 2, Tuliau 2, Strickland, Edwards
Fouled Out: Mataya 2:01 left
Turnovers (10): Edwards 4, Strickland 2, Jancan 2, Mataya, Tuliau
Halftime Score: Imperial Valley 53, Long Beach 41
Updated Records: Imperial Valley 4-8, Long Beach 5-8
Imperial Valley went on a 12-0 run to lead 37-26 late in the 1st half.
Long Beach went on a 16-4 run to get within 2 at 63-61 and also trailed by 2 at 77-75.
Sutton & Bland each hit 3-pointers to spark an 18-6 IVC run to make it 95-81 with under 2 minutes left.
