In the Safeway Classic, host #2-North Diablo Valley used its usual formula of balanced scoring and strong defense to post a 74-63 win over #13-South Citrus in the championship game.
PF Brandon Allen garnered Tourney MVP honors with a 13-point, 8-rebound performance, while SG Mike Adelakun added 17 pts and PG Ross Nakamura added 15 for the Vikings and joined him on the all-tournament team.
It was in many ways what has become a routine win for DVC. They controlled the pace – the teams combined for just 104 shot attempts and only 24 turnovers – while holding Citrus to just 33% shooting from the floor. And the Vikings had four scorers in double digits.
The key stretch occurred late in the first half when DVC went on a 15-3 run that turned a 6-point deficit into a 6-point lead. Citrus had scored 6 straight points on free throws to take a 19-13 advantage at that point.
But then came the DVC run, which ended with a pair of threes sandwiched around a pair of free throws, all by Adelakun. The freshman from Ygnacio Valley scored 15 of his team-high 17 points in the first half. And during the run, Citrus SF Phil Friesen picked up his second and third fouls on successive close plays – one on which he was called for charging and the other on which he was called for the block when trying to take a charge – and headed to the bench.
And as the half wound down, DVC gradually extended the lead, pushing the margin to 10 at 36-26 after threes by PF Brandon Slabach and Nakamura. Citrus Ctr Deonta Black made a pair of free throws with 18.3 seconds left in the half to close the gap to 8 at 36-28 at the break.
> In the second half, Diablo Valley pulled away, pushing the lead back into double digits on putback basket by Adams in the opening minute. Citrus closed the gap to 9 moments later but then the sweet passing of SF Walter Abrone helped DVC pull further away. First, after a rebound, he passed to SF Doug Daniels for a FG+FT 3-point play that made it 41-29. Then he fed Adams for another basket that also became a 3-point play, giving DVC a 15-point lead at 44-29. The lead reached a high of 16 points at 49-33 after a pair of free throws by Adelakun.
Citrus hung tough, closing the gap to 10 at 55-45 and again at 61-51, but got no closer until the final minute when threes by SG Aaron Arango and Friesen brought the Owls to within 8 points at 71-63. But by then just 24.6 seconds remained and the Vikings easily held on for the win.
In addition to the three all-tournament selections, top performers for DVC included Daniels, who had 11 pts, and Abrone, who had a strong all-around game with 6 pts, 3 asts, 2 rebs and 2 steals. SG Mac Peterson had a rough shooting night (2-for-8) but managed 6 pts and dished out a game-high 6 asts.
For Citrus, Friesen led the way with 20 pts, 7 rebs and 4 asts. Black had a huge game with 14 pts, 6 rebs and 5 blocks. They were both named to the all-tournament team for the Owls.
box score
Friday, December 29, 2006 – 7 pm
at the Viking Gymnasium, Diablo Valley College, Pleasant Hill
Safeway Classic Tourney – Championship Game
Citrus Owls 63:
5-Kevin McCaughey, PG – 0/3 fg, 2/2 ft, 3 reb, 2 ast, 5 pf, 2 pts
15-Aaron Arango, SG – 2/9 fg, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 3 pf, 6 pts
20-Phil Friesen, SF – 7/11 fg, 4/7 ft, 7 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 20 pts
30-Chad Allan, PF – 2/5 fg, 1 ast, 1 pf, 4 pts
45-Deonta Black, C – 3/11 fg, 8/8 ft, 6 reb, 5 blk, 4 pf, 14 pts
25-Buchi Awaji, F – 2/7 fg, 4/6 ft, 3 reb, 2 ast, 8 pts
44-Richard Frohlich, C – 1/3 fg, 2/3 ft, 1 reb, 1 pf, 4 pts
3-Shaughn Hull, G – 1/2 fg, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 5 pf, 3 pts
32-Virgil Buensuceso, G – 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 0 pts
23-Edwin Eukere, C – 2 reb, 1 ast, 0 pts
10-Lester Cole, G – 0/2 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 reb, 1 stl, 1 pf, 2 pts
12-Nathaniel Richardson, G – 1 reb, 1 ast, 0 pts
team rebounds: 3
Totals: 18/54 fg (.333), 22/28 ft (.786), 33 reb, 13 ast, 6 blk, 4 stl, 24 pf, 63 pts
3-pt fg (5): Arango 2, Friesen 2, Hull
Fouled Out: McCaughey 54.0 secs left, Hull 10.2 secs left
Turnovers (11): Arango 3, McCaughey 2, Black 2, Buensuceso 2, Friesen, Hull
Diablo Valley Vikings 74:
12-Ross Nakamura, PG – 3/6 fg, 6/8 ft, 4 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 15 pts
21-Doug Daniels, SF – 3/5 fg, 5/5 ft, 3 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 4 pf, 11 pts
32-Brandon Adams, PF – 5/10 fg, 3/5 ft, 8 reb, 4 pf, 13 pts
33-Mac Peterson, SG – 2/8 fg, 2/2 ft, 5 reb, 6 ast, 4 pf, 6 pts
42-Kendall Holmes, C – 0/1 fg, 2 reb, 4 pf, 0 pts
20-Walter Abrone, F – 3/5 fg, 2 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 6 pts
34-Brandon Slabach, F – 1/5 fg, 3/4 ft, 2 reb, 1 blk, 2 stl, 2 pf, 6 pts
15-Mike Adelakun, G – 5/10 fg, 4/4 ft, 6 reb, 1 stl, 17 pts
10-Joe Aliotti, G – 0 pts
team rebounds: 5
Totals: 22/50 fg (.440), 23/28 ft (.821), 37 reb, 13 ast, 4 blk, 6 stl, 19 pf, 74 pts
3-pt fg (7): Nakamura 3, Adelakun 3, Slabach
Turnovers (13): Nakamura 3, Peterson 3, Holmes 3, Adams 2, Adelakun 2
Halftime Score: Diablo Valley 36, Citrus 28
Updated Records: Diablo Valley (#2-North, #3-Calif) 18-2, Citrus (#13-South) 13-7
All-Tourney Team: Citrus – Black, Friesen; DVC – Allen (MVP), Adelakun, Nakamura
