All-State PG Keith Smith scored 23 pts and SoCal Player of the Year SF Gerry Blakes scored 18 pts, but it was back-up PG Austin Daniels who came through with the play of the game, scoring on a driving lay-up with just under a minute to go as San Bernardino Valley held off a late rally from Chabot in the second state semifinal Saturday evening at Cerritos College.
San Bernardino Valley (29-7) seemed in control of the game when Blakes fouled out with 2:31 left. But then came an 11-0 run by Chabot (25-8) amidst a flurry of turnovers and fouls by the Wolverines, and suddenly it was a 3-point game as the clock passed the one-minute mark. And SBVC's best player was sitting on the bench, unable to stop the momentum.
That's when Daniels, in the game because Blakes was not, found a seam and got to the basket for a driving lay-up to push SBVC's lead back to five points. And Chabot never scored again. The Gladiators attempted a couple more shots, but SF Cortez Barrett missed and SG Charles Callison got the rebound and made two free throws with 40.5 seconds left to make it 75-68. Daniels added a free throw and Callison added two free throws after a steal in the final seconds to close out the scoring and send the Wolverines to the championship game.
All that seemed so unlikely before Blakes fouled out, as San Bernardino Valley expanded a one-point halftime lead into double digits midway through the second half and seemed in control of things. SF Tymarieh TA Dixon, normally a starter, came off the bench for SBVC and scored all 15 of his points in the second half as the Wolverines opened up a lead. His back-to-back 3-point plays gave the Wolverines a 57-43 lead with 10:21 to go, and Ctr Steven Adams scored moments later from in close to make it 59-44.
Chabot, which knocked off heavily-favored City College of San Francisco to reach the state semifinals, battled back to get within six points after a 10-1 run. Smith fouled SG Greg Brown as he attempted a 3-point shot with 7:12 remaining; Brown made all three free throws to make it 60-54.
But San Bernardino Valley turned back that threat, as Dixon scored off a pass from Daniels to make it 62-54. Then after a blocked shot by Adams, Dixon scored on the break off a pass from Smith, was fouled and completed his third 3-point play of the half to push SBVC's lead back to double digits at 65-54. Adams scored on a tip-in and Dixon scored on a driving lay-up to push the lead to 69-55 with about 4 minutes left.
All that came after an intense but evenly-played first half that ended with San Bernardino Valley holding a 35-34 advantage. Neither team led by more than 6 points in the half, and Chabot held its largest lead of the game at 30-26 with 3:26 left. SBVC answered that with a 6-0 spurt, and Chabot never took the lead again. It was tied at 32 when Blakes drained a long 3-pointer, but Chabot's Brown was fouled trying a 3-pointer with 1.5 seconds left in the half. He made two of the resulting three free throws to make it a 1-point game at the break.
Smith led all scorers with his 23 pts, and he also dished out a team-high 4 asts. Blakes had 18 pts, including 4 threes, and grabbed 8 rebs. Dixon came off the bench for a double-double with 15 pts and a game-high 11 rebs. Callison chipped in with 10 pts and grabbed a game-high 4 steals.
For Chabot, Barrett scored a team-best 17 pts and just missed a double-double with a team-high 9 rebs. That performance earned him a spot on the all-tournament team. Brown had 14 pts, 5 rebs and 3 steals, and Ctr Ray Baldwin had 10 pts and 7 rebs. PF Adrian Crump came off the bench for 11 pts and 8 rebs.
box score
Saturday, March 15, 2014 - 7 pm
at Cerritos College, Norwalk
State Semifinal #2
Chabot Gladiators 68:
5-Greg Brown, SG - 4/10 fg, 5/6 ft, 5 reb, 3 stl, 3 pf, 14 pts
20-Leo Smith, PG - 0/6 fg, 3/5 ft, 4 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 3 pts
30-Ray Baldwin, C - 2/5 fg, 6/9 ft, 7 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 10 pts
32-Paris Davis, PF - 2/5 fg, 0/2 ft, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 pf, 4 pts
33-Cortez Barrett, SF - 5/13 fg, 6/7 ft, 9 reb, 2 blk, 17 pts
31-Jalen Rodgers, G - 1/4 fg, 1/2 ft, 1 reb, 2 pf, 4 pts
43-Adrian Crump, F - 3/7 fg, 5/6 ft, 8 reb, 2 ast, 3 pf, 11 pts
55-Andrew Rice, C - 1/1 fg, 2 reb, 2 blk, 1 stl, 2 pf, 2 pts
22-Khalil James, G - 0/3 fg, 1/2 ft, 1 reb, 3 ast, 1 pf, 1 pt
44-Rodney Owens, F - 1/2 fg, 1 reb, 4 pf, 2 pts
40-Noel Briones, F - 0/2 fg, 1 reb, 1 stl, 4 pf, 0 pts
team rebounds: 2
Totals: 19/58 fg (.328), 27/39 ft (.692), 43 reb, 12 ast, 4 blk, 7 stl, 25 pf, 68 pts
3-pt fg (3): Brown, Barrett, Rodgers
Technical Foul: Crump
Turnovers (18): Smith 5, Baldwin 2, Davis 2, James 2, Owens 2, Brown, Rodgers, Crump, Rice, Briones
San Bernardino Valley Wolverines 78:
3-Keith Smith, PG - 7/14 fg, 9/15 ft, 1 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 23 pts
4-Gerry Blakes, SF - 7/14 fg, 8 reb, 1 stl, 5 pf, 18 pts
21-Marcus Fuggins, C - 0/1 fg, 3 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk, 1 stl, 3 pf, 0 pts
24-Charles Callison, SG - 2/9 fg, 5/6 ft, 2 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 4 stl, 10 pts
32-Trayvon Bashir, PF - 2/2 fg, 6 reb, 1 stl, 4 pts
5-Tymarieh TA Dixon, F - 6/13 fg, 3/4 ft, 11 reb, 2 ast, 2 blk, 4 pf, 15 pts
2-Austin Daniels, G - 1/1 fg, 1/2 ft, 1 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 3 pts
15-Steven Adams, C - 2/4 fg, 1/2 ft, 4 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 4 pf, 5 pts
34-Darren Smith, C - 0/1 fg, 3 reb, 1 pf, 0 pts
0-Darren Lockett, F - 0/1 fg, 2 reb, 1 blk, 2 stl, 1 pf, 0 pts
team rebounds: 1
Totals: 27/60 fg (.450), 19/29 ft (.655), 42 reb, 14 ast, 8 blk, 11 stl, 22 pf, 78 pts
3-pt fg (5): Blakes 4, Callison
Technical Foul: Adams
Fouled Out: Blakes 2:31 left
Turnovers (17): Blakes 5, Dixon 4, K.Smith 3, Callison 2, Daniels, Adams, Lockett
Halftime Score: San Bernardino Valley 35, Chabot 34
Updated Records: San Bernardino Valley 29-7, Chabot 25-8
Barrett (CC), K. Smith & Blakes (SBVC) were named to the all-tournament team.
SBVC led by 14 at 71-57 when Blakes fouled out, but then Chabot went on an 11-0 run.
Daniels' driving lay-up with just under a minute to go made it 73-68 and kept SBVC in control.
Callison made 4 FTs and Daniels made 1 in the last 40.5 seconds to clinch it for SBVC.
