Riverside Keeps Pesky Leopards at bay to Win its Tournament Opener

Community College Men's Basketball, Tuesday, December 9, 2014:

43^rd Annual Riverside Holiday Basketball Tournament,

Tuesday, Dec. 9 (day 1 of 5), Riverside City College, host

Game 1: L.A. Pierce Coll. Brahmas (7-5) 104, El Camino Coll.-Compton Tartars (2-4) 95;

Game 2: Chaffey Coll. Panthers (10-3) 79, East Los Angeles Coll. Huskies (7-3) 75;

Game 3: Mt. San Jacinto Coll. Eagles (9-3) 84, L.A. Trade-Technical Coll. Beavers (2-6) 80;

Game 4: at Riverside City Coll. Tigers (4-6) 79, U. of La Verne J.V. Leopards (0-1) 58: 

RIVERSIDE – Breaking away from its opponent early in the second half, the host Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers men's basketball team held off a pesky University of La Verne (ULV) Junior Varsity Leopards team en route to a 79-58 home win to conclude the first day of action in the 43rd Annual Riverside Holiday Tournament Tuesday evening (Dec. 9) at historic Arthur N. Wheelock Gymnasium.

Riverside City (4-6) broke a 39-39 tie with a 10-0 run (over a span of 2:42) to lead, 49-39, with 14:30 to play. RCC methodically pulled away down the stretch to post its biggest lead, 79-58, with 26 seconds left.

Five Tigers scored in double figures, including four starters, led by freshman forward Sage Woodruff (Los Angeles / Fairfax HS), who had 15 points. Sophomore forward Taj Adams (Los Angeles / Fairfax '12), sophomore guard Jelani Mitchell (Pasadena / Muir '13), and freshman guard Malik Hawkins (Killeen, TX / Ellison '13), who came off the bench, each had 12 points for RCC. Adams pulled down a team-high  nine rebounds for the Tigers who led only, 33-32, at halftime.

For the ULV junior varsity (0-1), senior guard Brett Stephan (San Diego / Rancho Bernardo HS) and sophomore forward Jordan Stokes (San Dimas) each tossed in 12 points. Stokes added a game-high 12 rebounds.

All eight teams from Tuesday will next play on Thursday, Dec. 11. At 12 p.m., the East Los Angeles College Huskies will "host" the L.A. Trade Technical College Beavers, followed by ECC-Compton Tartars meeting ULVJV at 2 p.m. as both of those games will be played in the Huntley Gymnasium.

In Wheelock Gym, the Mt. San Jacinto College Eagles will "host" the Chaffey College Panthers before RCC hosts the L.A. Pierce College Brahmas at 7 p.m. Both of the previous two games will be played in Wheelock Gymnasium.

On Wednesday, Dec. 10, day two of the tournament (upper bracket opening round) will be contested with all four games at Wheelock Gym. At 1 p.m., the Saddleback College Gauchos (9-1) will take on the Contra Costa College Comets (2-3). At 3 p.m., the Santa Rosa Junior College Bear Cubs (3-4) will greet the Citrus College Owls (2-4). At 5 p.m., the Fullerton College Hornets (1-7) will face the Barstow College Vikings (1-8). At 7 p.m. the San Bernardino Valley College Wolverines (9-1) greet Antelope Valley College Marauders (6-3).

-30-