SBCC Classic: Fast finish falls short for Vaqueros, 65-63

SBCC closed with a 9-2 run on Thursday night but it wasn't enough to prevent a 65-63 men's basketball loss to Cypress in the opening round of the 41^st annual SBCC Classic.

Sam Kelley scored a career-high 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting for the Vaqueros (1-6) while Prince Arceneaux and Thomas Callonea had 11 apiece. David Gonzalez topped the Chargers (3-6) with 28 points on 9-13 shooting, including 6-7 from 3-point range.

The Vaqueros outshot Cypress 50 to 45 percent but were outrebounded 36-23.
Cypress took a 63-54 lead on the sixth triple by Gonzalez with 2:58 to play. SBCC was still down seven with 1:19 left but Pablo Miranda hit two free throws, then scored a breakway layup to cut the deficit to three at 65-62.

The Chargers turned the ball over with 10.9 seconds left and SBCC had one last chance. Callonea missed a 3-pointer but was fouled on the rebound. He made the first free throw, then missed the second on purpose but Cypress' 7-footer Dominique Palmer (six points, eight rebounds) swatted the ball away.

SBCC took a 14-3 lead in the first six minutes with Kelley scoring five points on a 3-pointer and a 14-foot pull-up jumper. Cypress responded with a 19-2 burst that gave the Chargers a 22-16 lead with five minutes left in the opening half.

Callonea hit a baseline triple to cut the Cypress lead to 25-23 at intermission.

"We got out to that 14-3 lead, then they switched to a zone and I thought we were a little slow in solving their zone," said coach Morris Hodges. "We had about six possessions where we didn't score and they got back into it."

Cypress hit 9-16 from the 3-point line and the Vaqueros were 4-16 with Callonea making 2-4. Stephen Harper added seven points and five rebounds while Arceneaux made three steals.

"The main factor in the game was they had very good perimeter shooters and we didn't do a good job of switching and closing down that space," said Hodges. "They probably got 12 points on about four of our breakdowns.

"Our resolve was tremendous and our press generated a series of turnovers that got us back into it."

In other first-round games, Victor Valley upset No. 15 Pasadena 87-85, No. 20 Hancock topped L.A. Valley 79-68 and 11^th-ranked Irvine Valley remained undefeated (10-0) with a 67-59 win over Bakersfield.

Bakersfield and L.A. Valley will battle in a 3 p.m. consolation semifinal on Friday, followed by SBCC vs. Pasadena at 5 p.m. Victor Valley (9-2) will take on Cypress (3-6) in a 7 p.m. semifinal, followed by Irvine Valley and Hancock (6-3) at 9 p.m.