#3 LA Trade Tech continued its strong play with its 8th straight win, racing past visiting Compton to stay undefeated in SCC-North play with a 99-82 win Friday night.
Last time, Trade Tech had to rally to beat the Tartars. But they had no such challenge tonight, jumping out to a 9-0 lead to start the game, building a 17-point halftime lead and leading wire to wire.
SF Joseph Morgan put on a show with a game-high 26 pts, including 4 dunks, one of which came on a spectacular give off the glass from PG Marquis Dubose late in the game. When Morgan made the catch, the ball appeared to be above the box off the backboard, but the 6-4 sophomore not only grabbed the ball but threw it down cleanly for the dunk to bring the crowd out of its seats.
Trade Tech took the lead early on with a short jumper by Ctr Imari Thomas, followed by a 3-pointer by Morgan. Then came putback baskets by Thomas and PF Nick Pacitti to put the Beavers ahead, 9-0. Meanwhile, Compton missed its first 9 shots of the game.
The Tartars steadied themselves, rallying to within two points at 19-17 after a 3-pointer by SG Acquell Smith, but were never quite able to take the lead. They still trailed by just 6 points at 34-28 late in the half.
But then another Morgan three sparked a Trade Tech spurt that ended up being an 18-7 run. A Morgan steal & jam pushed the margin to double figures at 43-32 with just over 2 minutes left in the half. A pair of free throws by Pacitti pushed the lead to 12 at 45-33. After a basket by Compton SF Andrew Haley, a 3-pointer by SG James JR Lewis and a basket by Thomas on a feed from Dubose pushed Trade Tech's lead to 52-35 at the half.
Compton scored the first 10 points of the second half to cut the margin to 7 at 52-45, and sliced the lead down to just 5 points at 56-51 with just over 13 minutes remaining after a putback basket by Haley.
But then Trade Tech pulled away again, helped by some Compton foul trouble. A 3-pointer by Lewis gave Trade Tech a 10-point lead at 63-53, and the margin went to 12 on a basket by Dubose. Then Haley went to the bench for Compton with his 4th foul. A basket by Pacitti made it 69-55, and then PG Kevin Buggs of Compton picked up his fourth foul and sat down; SF Robert Summers' free throw made it 70-55.
Compton still trailed by just 10 at 79-69 when a 9-0 Trade Tech run put the game away. A Summers basket made it 81-69, and then Morgan's slam off the glass made it 83-69. A Morgan lay-up after a Summers steal made it 85-69, and a 3-point play by Dubose made it 88-69 and ended any doubt about the game's outcome.
For Trade Tech, six players scored in double figures, led by Morgan's 26 pts and 5 steals. Dubose had a marvelous game with 12 pts and 10 asts, while Thomas also posted a double-double with 15 pts and 11 rebs. Lewis came off the bench to score 16 pts, including 4 threes. Pacitti chipped in with 12 pts and 7 rebs, while Summers came off the bench and scored 10 pts.
For Compton, A. Smith had a game-high 22 pts, and Ctr Jameel Johnson had a double-double with 17 pts and 11 rebs. PF Clark Burrell had a solid night with 15 pts and 7 rebs. Haley managed 10 pts, 5 rebs and 4 asts despite only playing a few minutes in the first half and fouling out with 3:48 left. PG Kevin Buggs went 0-for-6 from the floor and did not score, but did get 7 rebs, 9 asts and 3 steals.
With the win, Trade Tech improves to 6-0 in the SCC-North and will take on 14-time defending champion LA City next Friday. Compton falls to 14-14 overall, and 4-2 in SCC-North play; the Tartars' only two losses in 2008 have come to Trade Tech.
box score
Friday, February 8, 2008 - 7:30 pm
at LA Trade Tech College
South Coast Conference - North Division
Compton Tartars 82:
14-Sheldon Smith, SG - 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 0 pts
20-Kevin Buggs, PG - 0/6 fg, 7 reb, 9 ast, 3 stl, 4 pf, 0 pts
22-Juan Davis, SG - 0/1 fg, 0 pts
24-Clark Burrell, PF - 6/12 fg, 7 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 15 pts
32-Demetrius Love, C - 0/4 fg, 2/2 ft, 7 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 2 pts
2-Brian Turner, G - 1/4 fg, 3 reb, 1 ast, 2 pf, 3 pts
4-Acquell Smith, G - 8/19 fg, 4/4 ft, 4 reb, 1 ast, 2 stl, 3 pf, 22 pts
33-Jameel Johnson, C - 5/14 fg, 7/13 ft, 11 reb, 2 blk, 1 stl, 3 pf, 17 pts
1-Andrew Haley, F - 5/7 fg, 5 reb, 4 ast, 5 pf, 10 pts
3-Donavon Baker, G - 1/2 fg, 1 reb, 1 stl, 3 pts
5-Jacob Mark, G - 0 pts
30-Christopher Norman, F - 1/4 fg, 2/2 ft, 1 pf, 4 pts
23-Ivan Rogers, F - 3/5 fg, 0/2 ft, 5 reb, 1 stl, 1 pf, 6 pts
team rebounds: 2
Totals: 30/79 fg (.380), 15/23 ft (.652), 51 reb, 17 ast, 3 blk, 10 stl, 21 pf, 82 pts
3-pt fg (7): Burrell 3, A.Smith 2, Turner, Baker
Fouled Out: Haley 3:48 left
Turnovers (24): Buggs 7, Johnson 5, A.Smith 3, Burrell 2, Turner 2, S.Smith, Love, Haley, Baker, Rogers
LA Trade Tech Beavers 99:
11-Marquis Dubose, PG - 4/10 fg, 4/6 ft, 5 reb, 10 ast, 2 stl, 12 pts
13-Joseph Morgan, SF - 8/12 fg, 7/8 ft, 2 reb, 2 ast, 5 stl, 1 pf, 26 pts
31-Imari Thomas, C - 5/12 fg, 4/6 ft, 11 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 3 stl, 2 pf, 15 pts
32-Keenan Biberovic, SF - 0/2 fg, 1 reb, 0 pts
44-Nick Pacitti, PF - 3/6 fg, 6/6 ft, 7 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 12 pts
24-Rico Myles, F - 2/2 fg, 6 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl, 4 pf, 4 pts
15-James (JR) Lewis, G - 5/10 fg, 2/2 ft, 4 reb, 1 pf, 16 pts
20-Robert Summers, F - 3/8 fg, 4/6 ft, 1 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 10 pts
34-Rene Johnson, G - 1 ast, 3 pf, 0 pts
33-Brian Tollette, F - 1/3 fg, 2 stl, 1 pf, 2 pts
25-Jamal Clay, C - 0/2 fg, 1 reb, 1 ast, 0 pts
12-Tim Smith, G - 1/1 fg, 2 pf, 2 pts
21-Daryl Tripp, C - 1 reb, 0 pts
30-Michael Davis, G - 1 pf, 0 pts
team rebounds: 4
Totals: 32/68 fg (.471), 27/34 ft (.794), 43 reb, 23 ast, 3 blk, 18 stl, 19 pf, 99 pts
3-pt fg (8): Lewis 4, Morgan 3, Thomas
Turnovers (16): Morgan 4, Dubose 2, Thomas 2, Summers 2, Johnson 2, Pacitti, Myles, Lewis, Clay
Halftime Score: LA Trade Tech 52, Compton 35
Updated Records: LA Trade Tech (#3-South, #5-Calif) 22-3, 6-0 in SCC-North; Compton 14-14, 4-2 in SCC-North
