SG Danny Benson scored 21 pts and three other players scored in double figures for Ventura (5-3), which saw most of a 19-point second-half lead disappear before holding on for an 88-81 win over Compton (1-7) in the first round of the Condor Classic tournament in Oxnard.
Benson made his first 8 shots of the game and finished 9-of-10 from the floor for his 21 pts, and also dished out 5 asts in the win. PF Anthony Burtley and SG Prince Abidoye each had 12 pts, with Burtley also pulling down a team-high 8 rebs and grabbing 3 steals while Abidoye dished out a team-high 6 asts. Ctr Will Faiivae had 11 pts and 6 rebs, all in the second half after missing most of the first half with foul trouble.
Compton began the game on a 7-0 spurt, but Ventura rallied quickly to take a 14-13 lead on a 3-pointer by Abidoye just less than 6 minutes into the game. Compton stayed close, trailing by just 4 late at 35-31 late in the half, before Ventura went on a 7-0 run to push the lead into double figures at 42-31. A basket by Compton SF Shelton Dennis late in the half made it 42-33 at the break.
Ventura began the second half with another run, pushing the lead to 19 at 52-33 after a 10-0 spurt. But then Compton gradually chipped away at that lead, getting to within 4 at 67-63 after a 3-pointer by SG Acquell Smith with just under 7 minutes left.
Ventura continued to nurse a short lead the rest of the way, with Compton getting within 3 points at 80-77 after a lay-up by SF Clinton Clark with 1:45 left. Burtley made a pair of free throws for Ventura with 1:30 left, but PG Terrell Cloton answered for Compton with a jumper with 1:10 left to again make it a 3-point game at 82-79.
But that was as close as Compton would get. A Benson lay-up with 36 seconds left made it 84-79. Then Burtley rebounded a Smith miss and was fouled. Burtley made one free throw to make it 85-79. He missed the second, but got the rebound and passed to PG Mike Diacos, who was fouled. Then Diacos made one of two free throws to make it 86-79 with 18 seconds left, sealing the win.
Despite the misadventures at the end, the free throw line was key for Ventura, which went 20-for-31 from the stripe compared to just 4-of-9 for Compton. The Tartars had 24 fouls, and had two players foul out. Ventura had just 15 fouls in the game.
Smith led Compton with 21 pts, 5 asts and 3 steals. Dennis had a strong all-around game with 18 pts, 7 rebs and 4 asts. Cloton added 15 pts and a team-best 6 asts.
box score
Thursday, November 28, 2008 - 3 pm
The Condor Classic @ Oxnard College - First Round
Compton Tartars 81:
3-Terrell Cloton, PG - 6/10 fg, 0/1 ft, 1 reb, 6 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 15 pts
4-Acquell Smith, SG - 9/21 fg, 4 reb, 5 ast, 3 stl, 2 pf, 21 pts
10-Jamal Washington, PF - 4/6 fg, 6 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 1 stl, 5 pf, 8 pts
11-Arthur Washington, C - 2/3 fg, 2/2 ft, 9 reb, 2 ast, 5 pf, 6 pts
44-Shelton Dennis, SF - 7/13 fg, 1/2 ft, 7 reb, 4 ast, 4 pf, 18 pts
22-Cartheal McDonald, F - 1/5 fg, 0/1 ft, 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 blk, 1 slt, 1 pf, 2 pts
33-Ricardo Lara, G - 0/3 fg, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 pf, 0 pts
40-Gary Quaker, F - 1 reb, 0 pts
12-Jason Wilcoxen, F - 1/1 fg, 0/1 ft, 2 pts
2-Brian Turner, G - 0/3 fg, 2 ast, 2 stl, 1 pf, 0 pts
25-Christopher Miller, F - 0/1 fg, 0 pts
24-Clinton Clark, F - 4/5 fg, 1/2 ft, 2 ast, 1 pf, 9 pts
team rebounds: 6
Totals: 34/71 fg (.479), 4/9 ft (.444), 38 reb, 25 ast, 4 blk, 8 stl, 24 pf, 81 pts
3-pt fg (9): Cloton 3, Smith 3, Dennis 3
Fouled Out: J.Washington 2:45 left, A.Washington 30.8 secs left
Turnovers (19): Dennis 6, Smith 4, Cloton 2, A.Washington 2, McDonald 2, Lara, Quaker, Miller
Ventura Pirates 88:
4-Anthony Burtley, PF - 3/5 fg, 6/8 ft, 8 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl, 1 pf, 12 pts
5-Danny Benson, SG - 9/10 fg, 2/2 ft, 2 reb, 5 ast, 1 pf, 21 pts
20-Eric Gray, SF - 1/6 fg, 1 ast, 1 stl, 3 pts
25-Dee Pinkard, PG - 3/8 fg, 1/2 ft, 5 reb, 4 ast, 1 blk, 3 stl, 1 pf, 8 pts
42-Will Faiivae, C - 4/11 fg, 3/4 ft, 6 reb, 1 ast, 2 blk, 1 stl, 4 pf, 11 pts
11-Prince Abidoye, G - 2/8 fg, 6/9 ft, 5 reb, 6 ast, 2 stl, 2 pf, 12 pts
22-Jordan Harris, F - 3/4 fg, 0/1 ft, 3 reb, 2 stl, 3 pf, 6 pts
12-Mike Diacos, G - 3/6 fg, 1/2 ft, 5 reb, 3 ast, 1 stl, 1 pf, 8 pts
33-Randy Hunter, C - 2/6 fg, 0/2 ft, 6 reb, 1 blk, 1 stl, 1 pf, 4 pts
55-Jeremiah Slowik, F - 1 pf, 0 pts
30-Alex Jamerson, G - 1/1 fg, 1/1 ft, 1 reb, 3 pts
team rebounds: 4
Totals: 31/65 fg (.477), 20/31 ft (.645), 45 reb, 22 ast, 4 blk, 14 stl, 15 pf, 88 pts
3-pt fg (6): Abidoye 2, Benson, Gray, Pinkard, Diacos
Turnovers (17): Benson 6, Burtley 2, Harris 2, Diacos 2, Hunter 2, Gray, Pinkard, Faiivae
Halftime Score: Ventura 42, Compton 33
Updated Records: Ventura 5-3, Compton 1-7
Ventura led by 19 early in the second half. Compton closed with within 3 in the final two minutes but couldn't quite catch up.
