After making the most important basket of the game in the semifinal, Dusty Baker made two of them in the final stages of the championship game, earning tourney MVP honors as he helped Saddleback to a 50-47 win over East Los Angeles and the third title in Gaucho program history on Sunday afternoon. Saddleback (33-2) trailed most of the game, but Baker's driving lay-up with just under three minutes to go gave the Gauchos a 46-45 lead, and they would lead the rest of the way. He added another basket with 1:11 left to push the lead to three at 48-45.
Friday night, Baker's 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in regulation saved Saddleback's season and capped an improbable comeback vs. Canada. Saddleback eventually won the game in overtime.
Sunday, the Gauchos again fell behind early, as East LA (22-11) got back-to-back 3-pointers from Marquis Salmon and Michael Cardenas to start the game and led, 10-2, just 3:16 into the game. By that time Saddleback had already turned the ball over 5 times, allowing the Huskies to run the floor freely.
But then things settled down into a typical Saddleback pace. East LA pushed its lead to as many as nine points when Primitivo Gomez, who had career highs of 23 pts and 12 rebs in ELAC's semifinal win over Merritt, made a 3-pointer with just over six minutes left in the first half.
But like a great jockey, Saddleback coach Andy Ground stuck with his plan. And just as the great Eddie Delahoussaye often kept his charge along the rail in traffic the whole way, confident an opening would appear in the final stages of the race, Ground stuck with his plan to control the pace and get the ball inside to 7-foot Conor Clifford.
And of course the strategy eventually turned the game in favor of Saddleback. Clifford would finish with a game-high 16 pts, and the Gauchos gradually battled their way back from the 9-point deficit.
East LA still held a 28-25 lead at the half. Saddleback tied the score at 36 on a 3-pointer by Andrew Bournes, who recovered from a rough semifinal to score 14 pts in the championship game. Te'Shon Burton answered with a three to put East LA back in front, and a three by Miles Ford made it 42-38.
But Saddleback kept battling, taking a lead on Baker's two baskets as the game approached the one-minute mark. East LA got two free throws from Salmon with 1:01 left, but Maleke Haynes scored his only basket of the game (he did have a game-high 8 asts) on a driving lay-up with 11.5 seconds left to push Saddleback's lead to three at 50-47.
Then things almost got very weird. East LA's Burton missed a three, and Haynes got the rebound. Knowing he would be fouled and just wanting to get the ball as far as possible from the basket, Haynes tossed it down the court towards the ELAC basket. The high arc-ing lob bounced near the free throw line and seemed headed right into the basket! But what would have been the E shot of the millennium just missed, bouncing off the backboard and into the hands of ELAC's Marcus Romain with 0.6 seconds left.
With one last play left, each team called timeout. On the restart, Burton threw the ball towards center court, but Baker intercepted the pass and flung the ball high into the air as the buzzer sounded and the Gauchos rushed onto the floor.
Then Ground and the Gauchos gathered in the winner's circle...er, at the basket for the traditional photo and cutting down of the nets.
Baker earned MVP honors, and was joined on the all-tournament team by Clifford and Haynes from Saddleback as well as Salmon (15 pts, 8 rebs, 4 asts, 1 ast, 1 stl) and Gomez from East Los Angeles. Crisshawn Clark of Canada was also named to the all-tournament team.
box score
Sunday, March 15, 2015 - 1 pm
at Cerritos College, Norwalk
State Championship Game
East LA Huskies 47:
1-Michael Cardenas, SG - 3/5 fg, 2 reb, 8 pts
2-Je'Ron Primus, SF - 1/9 fg, 0/1 ft, 4 reb, 3 stl, 2 pf, 3 pts
3-Marcus Romain, PG - 0/4 fg, 1/2 ft, 1 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 1 pt
33-Primitivo Gomez, PF - 2/4 fg, 2 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 3 pf, 5 pts
35-Marquis Salmom, C - 3/9 fg, 8/8 ft, 8 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 2 pf, 15 pts
10-Miles Ford, G - 1/3 fg, 1 ast, 2 pf, 3 pts
24-Te'Shon Burton, F - 2/4 fg, 2/4 ft, 3 reb, 2 ast, 8 pts
25-Richard Bivens, F - 2/6 fg, 4 reb, 4 pts
42-Marcus Byrd, C - 0/1 fg, 0 pts
team rebounds: 4
Totals: 14/45 fg (.311), 11/16 ft (.688), 28 reb, 13 ast, 1 blk, 8 stl, 13 pf, 47 pts
3-pt fg (8): Cardenas 2, Burton 2, Primus, Gomez, Salmon, Ford
Technical Foul: Romain
Turnovers (18): Romain 6, Primus 3, Bivens 3, Salmon 2, Gomez, Burton, team 2
Saddleback Gauchos 50:
10-Andrew Bournes, SG - 6/14 fg, 4 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 3 pf, 14 pts
11-Maleke Haynes, PG - 1/3 fg, 4 reb, 8 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 2 pts
25-Dusty Baker, SF - 4/5 fg, 5 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl, 1pf, 8 pts
31-Collin Host, PF - 4/9 fg, 5 reb, 1 ast, 3 pf, 8 pts
42-Conor Clifford, C - 6/11 fg, 4/5 ft, 8 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 4 pf, 16 pts
30-Josh Mishler, G - 1/3 fg, 1 ast, 2 pts
32-Brandon Fagins, F - 1 reb, 1 stl, 2 pf, 0 pts
41-Kyle Hoag, C - 0/1 fg, 0 pts
35-Daniel Young, F - 0 pts
team rebounds: 3
Totals: 22/46 fg (.461), 4/5 ft (.800), 30 reb, 17 ast, 2 blk, 4 stl, 17 pf, 50 pts
3-pt fg (2): Bournes 2
Technical Foul: Bournes
Turnovers (19): Haynes 6, Clifford 4, Baker 3, Bournes 2, Fagins 2, Host, Mishler
Halftime Score: East LA 28, Saddleback 25
Updated Records: Saddleback (#2-S) 33-2, East LA (#13-S) 22-11
East LA led most of the game and by as many as 9 points at 26-17 late in the 1st half.
Saddleback took its 1st lead of the 2nd half on a driving lay-up by Baker with just under 3 minutes left.
Haynes scored on a lay-up with 11.5 secs left to make it 50-47.
Baker intercepted East LA's last desperation inbounds pass as time expired.
