In a showdown between the #1-ranked and #2-ranked teams in Southern California, Mt. San Antonio (28-2, 4-1 in SCC-North) got 19 points from SG Sam Cardeno and held off a late Pasadena (20-4, 3-2) rally to top the host Lancers, 62-55, at Hutto-Patterson gym Friday night.
Cardeno posted a game-high point total, and that included 5 threes, the last of which gave Mt. SAC an 8-point lead at 51-43 with just over 5 minutes left in the game. But Pasadena rallied to cut the margin to a single point after a putback basket by Tamiko Rounds that made it 51-50 with 3:36 remaining. Pasadena had two chances to take the lead, but Carmen Deal missed two free throws on one play and about a minute later Desiree Butler was called for a charging foul with 1:26 left.
Then Mt. SAC pushed its lead back to 7 at 57-50 after a putback basket by Krystal Williams, two free throws by Lauren Ervin and a driving lay-up by Krystal Fontenot with just over a minute remaining. Pasadena rallied to cut the lead to 3 at 58-55 after a three by Yolanda Johnson, but that was as close as the Lancers would get. Single free throws by LaSheree Christian and Williams, and a pair of free thorws by Fontenot sealed the win for the Mounties.
Mt. SAC trailed by just 1 point at the half despite the absence of Ervin, the frontrunner for SCC-North Player of the Year. Deal drew Ervin's foul of the game less than 4 minutes in, and Ervin went to the bench for the rest of the half. Deal then made the two free throws to give Pasadena a 7-5 lead. Then a baseline drive by Butler pushed the lead to 9-5.
But Mt. SAC rallied, taking the lead on a three by Williams, and pushed the lead to 14-9 after baskets by Christian and Candace Shivers. Then Pasadena rallied to tie the game at 14, and the lead went back and forth the rest of the half. Williams made two free throws left with 5.4 seconds left before halftime to give Mt. SAC a 26-25 lead, but Butler's jumper at the horn put Pasadena back ahead at the break, 27-26.
When the second half began, Ervin wasted little time asserting herself, scoring a pair of baskets to put Mt. SAC ahead, 30-27. Mt. SAC continued to lead when she picked up her third foul and again headed to the bench with 13:02 left. Cardeno drained a three moments later to put Mt. SAC ahead, 36-32.
Pasadena momentarily re-took the lead with just under 11 minutes left after a 3-point play and a pair of free throws by Deal, which made it 37-36. But Mt. SAC quickly jumped back in front when Yatshica Johnson scored on a runner to make it 38-37.
And Mt. SAC never lost that lead, though the game was in doubt until the final seconds. Ervin re-entered the game with 7:37 left and immediately found Cardeno open for a 3-pointer that made it 48-41. Then came a surreal sequence in which Pasadena blocked three Mt. SAC shots only to have the ball end up in the hands of Mt. SAC's Tonicia Tademy, who passed to Cardeno for another three that made it 51-43.
For Mt. SAC, in addition to Cardeno, the other double-digit scorer was Williams, who had 11 plus 4 pts and 3 asts. Ervin managed 8 pts and a team-high 8 rebs despite being plagued with foul trouble all night and playing about 14 minutes. Christian gave the Mounties a boost from the bench, contributing 5 pts, 4 reb, 3 asts and 3 steals. And Myra Lealaitafea did well standing in for Ervin, contributing 6 pts and 7 boards.
For Pasadena, Johnson led in scoring with 18 pts, including 3 threes. Deal had a strong game with 12 pts and a game-high 15 rebs. Butler had 10 pts and 3 steals while Stephanie Solomon had just 3 pts but grabbed 12 rebs and swatted away 7 Mt. SAC shots.
box score
Friday, February 3, 2006 - 5:30 pm
at Hutto-Patterson Gym, Pasadena
South Coast Conference - North Division
Mt. San Antonio 62:
3-Sam Cardeno, SG - 7/20 fg, 5 reb, 1 stl, 2 pf, 19 pts
10-Tonicia Tademy, PG - 0/1 fg, 2 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 0 pts
22-Krystal Williams, SF - 3/13 fg, 4/9 ft, 4 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 11 pts
33-Krystal Fontenot, PF - 1/9 fg, 3/4 ft, 2 reb, 1 ast, 4 pf, 5 pts
44-Lauren Ervin, C - 2/6 fg, 4/4 ft, 8 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 4 pf, 8 pts
42-Candace Shivers, F - 1/3 fg, 2/2 ft, 2 reb, 3 pf, 4 pts
23-LaSheree Christian, G - 1/8 fg, 3/4 ft, 4 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl, 3 pf, 5 pts
50-Myra Lealaitafea, F - 3/5 fg, 7 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 6 pts
14-Yatshica Johnson, F - 2/6 fg, 0/1 ft, 3 reb, 1 pf, 4 pts
35-Luisa Howell, C - 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 0 pts
team rebounds: 11
Totals: 20/72 fg (.278), 16/24 ft (.667), 49 reb, 13 ast, 1 blk, 8 stl, 25 pf, 62 pts
3-pt fg (6): Cardeno 5, Williams
Technical Foul: Fontenot
Turnovers (13): Fontenot 2, Ervin 2, Shivers 2, Christian 2, Johnson 2, Tademy, Williams, Lealaitefea
Pasadena 55:
10-Yolanda Johnson, SF - 5/13 fg, 5/8 ft, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 18 pts
12-Desiree Butler, PG - 5/12 fg, 0/2 ft, 2 reb, 1 ast, 3 stl, 4 pf, 10 pts
21-Stephanie Solomon, PF - 1/5 fg, 1/2 ft, 12 reb, 7 blk, 3 pf, 3 pts
25-Carmen Deal, C - 3/12 fg, 6/11 ft, 15 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk, 2 stl, 4 pf, 12 pts
32-Kathy Serrano, SG - 1 reb, 1 ast, 2 pf, 0 pts
22-Tamiko Rounds, G - 2/6 fg, 3/4 ft, 8 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 5 pf, 7 pts
34-Jayde Dennis, F - 1 ast, 1 pf, 0 pts
20-Morgan Bennett, F - 2/3 fg, 3 reb, 1 stl, 2 pf, 4 pts
40-Rashynda Blanchard, F - 1/1 ft, 1 pt
team rebounds: 7
Totals: 18/51 fg (.353), 16/28 ft (.571), 49 reb, 7 ast, 9 blk, 8 stl, 27 pf, 55 pts
3-pt fg (3): Johnson 3
Technical Foul: Butler
Fouled Out: Rounds 23.5 secs left
Turnovers (24): Johnson 6, Butler 5, Deal 5, Solomon 3, Rounds 2, Serrano, Dennis, Bennett
Halftime Score: Pasadena 27, Mt. SAC 26
Updated Records: Mt. SAC 28-2 overall, 4-1 in SCC-N; Pasadena 20-4, 3-2
