PG Josh Gordon did his best Ben Gordon impression, coming off the bench to score 21 points and spark West LA (6-3) to an 80-70 win over visiting El Camino (4-4) Tuesday night in Culver City.
Gordon connected on 8 of 11 shots from the floor, including 3 threes, for the Oilers. And SF Jerard Moret had his usual strong game with 15 pts, a game-high 8 rebs and a team-best 5 asts.
It was an unusual first half as both teams seemed to work their halfcourt offenses to near perfection. Both teams shot better than 50% and neither team committed enough fouls to get into the penalty. And the teams combined for a startlingly low total of 18 missed shots.
El Camino jumped out to the early lead, taking a 21-15 lead midway through the first half and pushing the margin to 7 points at 24-17 with just over 7 minutes left before halftime.
But West LA stormed back, tying the game at 26 on an alley-oop slam by Moret on a lob from Gordon. Moments later, Moret gave the Oilers their first lead since the opening minutes on a free throw. El Camino got a three from SG Kevin Wilson to tie the game again at 31, but West LA went into halftime with a 5-point lead at 38-33 after a three by Moret and a scoop shot lay-up at the buzzer by PG Dhafir Washington.
When the second half began, El Camino tied the game at 38 but then West LA gradually pulled away. A FG+FT 3-point play by Moret gave the Oilers a 41-38 lead. The margin grew to 5 points at 45-40 after a basket by PF Darryl Taylor and to 8 points at 50-42 on a FG+FT 3-point play by Gordon after a steal. The lead reached double digits at 62-50 on a Gordon three, and reached a high of 15 points at 73-58 after a steal & 2 free throws by Moret with 3:41 left.
El Camino rallied a bit to cut the margin to 7 at 75-68 with 1:54, and PF Angelo Hughes stole the ball back on the inbounds to give the Warriors the chance to cut further into the lead. But Hughes' fallaway jumper missed, and West LA pulled away again. SG Jesrael Bluntt scored to push the margin back to 7 and Taylor made a pair of free throws with 42.7 seconds left to push the lead back to 9 and secure the win.
In addition to Gordon and Moret, Oilers who played well included Taylor, who had 15 pts, and Bluntt, who had 9 pts and 6 rebs off the bench.
For El Camino, Wilson led the way with 19 pts and also dished out 5 asts. SF Kelly Hubbard had 13 pts and Hughes added 11 pts, a team-best 7 rebs and 3 steals. The Warriors lost despite shooting 51% from the floor as a team.
box score
Tuesday, November 28, 2006 - 8 pm
at West LA College, Culver City
El Camino Warriors 70:
3-Ronnie Green, PG - 4/12 fg, 2 reb, 5 ast, 3 pf, 8 pts
11-Kevin Wilson, SG - 7/11 fg, 4/6 ft, 2 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 19 pts
32-Kelly Hubbard, SF - 4/9 fg, 3/3 ft, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 13 pts
34-Angelo Hughes, PF - 4/6 fg, 3/4 ft, 7 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 4 pf, 11 pts
44-Jonathan Lucas, C - 4/5 fg, 1/2 ft, 3 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl, 1 pf, 9 pts
12-Chris Benton, F - 3/8 fg, 2/2 ft, 6 reb, 2 stl, 8 pts
13-Marquis Thalley, G - 0 pts
42-Marquis Wright, F - 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 pf, 0 pts
10-Lonnie Bennett, F - 2/2 ft, 1 reb, 2 pf, 2 pts
team rebounds: 4
Totals: 26/51 fg (.510), 15/19 ft (.789), 30 reb, 15 ast, 1 blk, 9 stl, 14 pf, 70 pts
3-pt fg (3): Hubbard 2, Wilson
Turnovers (19): Wilson 6, Lucas 3, Green 2, Thalley 2, Hubbard, Hughes, Benton, Wright, Bennett, team
West LA Oilers 80:
20-Dhafir Washington, PG - 2/5 fg, 1/2 ft, 1 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 6 pts
24-Darryl Taylor, PF - 5/10 fg, 4/4 ft, 4 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 15 pts
30-Tim Jackson, SG - 2/8 fg, 4 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 1 pf, 4 pts
32-Jerard Moret, SF - 5/12 fg, 4/5 ft, 8 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 15 pts
52-Sudan Daniels, C - 1/1 fg, 1 ast, 2 pts
14-Jesrael Bluntt, G - 2/6 fg, 4/4 ft, 6 reb, 4 pf, 9 pts
54-Craig Rodgers, C - 1 pf, 0 pts
22-Josh Gordon, G - 8/11 fg, 2/3 ft, 2 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 2 pf, 21 pts
25-Anthony Davis, F - 1/1 fg, 1 blk, 1 pf, 2 pts
42-Chris Walton, F - 3/6 fg, 4 reb, 4 pf, 6 pts
team rebounds: 2
Totals: 29/60 fg (.483), 15/18 ft (.833), 31 reb, 14 ast, 1 blk, 7 stl, 18 pf, 80 pts
3-pt fg (7): Gordon 3, Washington, Taylor, Moret, Bluntt
Intentional Foul: Davis
Turnovers (14): Moret 3, Bluntt 3, Jackson 2, Bluntt 2, Washington, Taylor, Davis, Washington
Halftime Score: West LA 38, El Camino 33
Updated Records: West LA 6-3, El Camino 4-4
