PF Alex Finley’s 12-foot jumper with 1.7 seconds left lifted Pasadena (7-18, 1-5) to a 64-62 win over host Mt. San Antonio (5-21, 2-4) Friday night in Walnut. The win was Pasadena’s first in SCC-North play in nearly three years, and broke a 25-game division game losing streak for the Lancers.
Finley’s shot capped an excellent second half for Pasadena, which overcame an early 9-point deficit for the win. The Lancers shot 55% in the second half after a ragged first half in which neither team shot 30% from the floor. But Pasadena quickly wiped out a 6-point halftime deficit, and the lead went back and forth throughout the second half until Finley’s game-winning shot.
The first half was ugly. Mt. SAC went ahead, 12-6, and gradually increased that lead to 9 points at 26-17 late in the half before Pasadena scored the last 4 points of the half to make it 26-21 at the break. Mt. SAC shot 27% from the floor and Pasadena shot 23% as the teams both struggled. And players not named Jenero Jefferson or Donte Smith shot a collective 14% (6-for-43). Smith of Mt. SAC outscored Jefferson of PCC by 6 points (15-9) in the half so it was only fitting that the Mounties held a 6-point lead at the break.
But in the second half, both teams warmed up and the play was a lot crisper. Pasadena got a three from Finley, a pair of free throws from SF Rico Henderson and a basket from Finley on a feed from Henderson to wipe out the halftime deficit and take a 28-27 lead less than two minutes into the second half. And a jumper by Finley made it 30-27 Lancers.
Mt. SAC soon righted itself, however, and went back in front on a three by Donte Smith. And the lead went back and forth several times until Pasadena raced out to a 10-point lead at 53-43 with 6:04 left in the game. But then Mt. SAC went to a press, and scored 5 quick points to get the lead back to 5 at 53-48. And the Mounties eventually tied the game on a three by Donte Smith with 2:25 left and then went in front, 62-60, on a putback jam by PF Duane Wright with 1:38 remaining.
Pasadena’s Jefferson responded with a spinning, driving lay-up to tie the game at 62 with just under a minute left. Then Pasadena PG Landis Scott grabbed a steal and sent Jefferson in for a possible lay-up, but Mt. SAC Ctr Jimmy House swatted that shot away, keeping the game tied. As the shot clock wound down, Donte Smith tried to put Mt. SAC in the lead, but his shot missed and Henderson got the rebound for Pasadena.
And on that last possession, Henderson got the ball in the right corner as time wound down. But he found Finley just inside the free throw line, and the 6-3 forward from Muir HS canned the jumper with 1.7 seconds left to put Pasadena ahead, 64-62. Mt. SAC tried to get the ball to Donte Smith for one last shot, but time ran out before he could get a shot away.
For Pasadena, Jefferson came off the bench to score a game-high 18 pts while Finley had 17. SG Chris Johnson had 13, all in the second half, including 3 threes. Henderson had 6 pts, 6 rebs and 4 asts. Ctr Joe Steele had just 4 pts but grabbed a game-high 13 rebs.
For Mt. SAC, Donte Smith led the way with a game-high 29 pts, including 5 threes. Ctr ”Jumpin’” Jimmy House, one of the best leapers in JC basketball, had a double-double with 10 pts, 10 rebs and 6 blocked shots. SF Kenneth Scott added 9 pts, 6 rebs and 4 asts. Wright chipped in with 6 pts, 5 rebs, 3 asts and 3 blocks.
The win is Pasadena’s first in SCC North Division play since the 2003-04 season, and breaks a 25-game losing streak in the division.
box score
Friday, February 2, 2007 – 7:30 pm
at Mt. San Antonio College, Walnut
SCC-North
Pasadena Lancers 64:
20-Rico Henderson, SF – 1/4 fg, 4/6 ft, 6 reb, 4 ast, 3 pf, 6 pts
30-Chris Johnson, SG – 5/15 fg, 0/2 ft, 2 reb, 3 stl, 1 pf, 13 pts
32-Landis Scott, PG – 0/4 fg, 6 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl, 0 pts
50-Alex Finley, PF – 7/13 fg, 2/3 ft, 7 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 17 pts
52-Joe Steele, C – 1/5 fg, 2/4 ft, 13 reb, 2 pf, 4 pts
22-Jenero Jefferson, G – 8/18 fg, 2/5 ft, 2 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 18 pts
40-Jesse Porter, C – 1/2 fg, 2 reb, 2 blk, 1 stl, 2 pf, 2 pts
34-Maurice Gregory, G – 2/4 fg, 2 stl, 4 pts
42-Sean Harris-McKinnie, F – 0 pts
team rebounds: 4
Totals: 25/65 fg (.385), 10/20 ft ( .500), 40 reb, 13 ast, 2 blk, 11 stl, 12 pf, 64 pts
3-pt fg (4): Johnson 3, Finley
Turnovers (16): Finley 5, Scott 4, Henderson 2, Johnson 2, Steele, Jefferson, team
Mt. SAC Mounties 62:
3-Donte Smith, PG – 12/27 fg, 0/1 ft, 4 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl, 3 pf, 29 pts
11-Dominic Smith, SG – 0/3 fg, 2 reb, 1 ast, 2 pf, 0 pts
21-Kenneth Scott, SF – 2/6 fg, 3/4 ft, 6 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl, 2 pf, 9 pts
22-Duane Wright, PF – 2/7 fg, 2/3 ft, 5 reb, 3 ast, 3 blk, 1 stl, 4 pf, 6 pts
34-Jimmy House, C – 4/8 fg, 2/2 ft, 10 reb, 6 blk, 2 stl, 3 pf, 10 pts
4-Laurence Bell, G – 2/5 fg, 3 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 5 pts
20-Omid Sadat, F – 0/2 fg, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 pf, 0 pts
44-David Ball, C – 1/2 fg, 1/2 ft, 5 reb, 1 stl, 3 pts
team rebounds: 6
Totals: 23/60 fg (.383), 8/12 ft (.667), 43 reb, 13 ast, 9 blk, 11 stl, 16 pf, 62 pts
3-pt fg (8): Donte Smith 5, Scott 2, Bell
Turnovers (26): Donte Smith 7, Dominic Smith 5, Scott 4, House 4, Wright 3, Bell 3
Halftime Score: Mt. SAC 27, Pasadena 21
Updated Records: Pasadena 7-18, 1-5 in SCC-North; Mt. SAC 5-21, 2-4 in SCC-N
Finley hit a 12-foot jumper with 1.7 seconds left to win it
This win breaks a 25-game SCC-N losing streak for Pasadena, dating back to 2004
