L.A. Pierce Goes on 18-0 run, defeats Tigers, 72-60, in Day Three Action of Riverside Holiday Tournament

43^rd Annual Riverside Holiday Basketball Tournament,

Thursday, Dec. 11 (day 3 of 5), Riverside City College, host

Game #9: East L.A. Coll. Huskies (8-3) 104, L.A. Trade-Technical Coll. Beavers (2-7) 77;

Game #11: El Camino Coll.-Compton Tartars (3-4) 83, U. of La Verne J.V. Leopards (0-2) 63;

Game #13: Santa Rosa JC Bear Cubs (4-5) 84, Contra Costa Coll. Comets (2-5) 79;

Game #15: Antelope Vy. Coll. Marauders (7-4) 94, Barstow Coll. Vikings (1-10) 68;

Game #10: Saddleback Coll. Gauchos (11-1) 78, Citrus Coll. Owls (3-5) 52;

Game #12: San Bernardino Vy. Coll. Wolverines (11-1) 73, Fullerton Coll. Hornets (2-8) 38;

Game #14: Mt. San Jacinto Coll. Eagles (10-3) 82, Chaffey College Panthers (10-4) 57;

Game #16: L.A. Pierce Coll. Brahmas (8-5) 72, at Riverside City Coll. Tigers (4-7) 60:

Pierce goes on 18-0 run to overcome Riverside

RIVERSIDE – Having its opponents go on an 18-0 run early in the second half, the host Riverside City College (RCC) Tigers men's basketball team lost to the visiting Los Angeles Pierce College (LAPC) Brahmas, 72-60, in a championship quarterfinal game of the 43^rd annual Riverside Holiday Basketball Tournament Thursday evening (Dec. 11) at historic Arthur N. Wheelock Gymnasium.

Riverside City (4-7) had its biggest lead of the night, 39-34, with 17:12 to play, before L.A. Pierce (8-5) went on an 18-0 run over a span of 4:40 to lead 52-39 and break the game open. The Tigers hung in there on the strength of their free throw shooting (30 of 42, 71.4%), but their three-point shooting wasn't effective (0 for 11).

L.A. Pierce weathered the storm of the Tigers' free throw shooting, as well as the loss of 6'7 sophomore center Trey Archambeau (Chattahootchee, GA), who played only 11 minutes (six points) in the first half before sustaining a concussion. Freshman guard Iseah Rodgers (Birmingham HS) came off the bench to toss in 15 points to lead the Brahmas, and teammate, sophomore forward Jordan Fuller (Alemany HS) added 14 points.

For Riverside, sophomore forward Taj Adams (Los Angeles / Fairfax '12) led the Tigers with game highs of 18 points and eight rebounds.

With the win, L.A. Pierce advances to a championship semifinal game against the Mt. San Jacinto College (MSJC) Eagles on Friday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m. Earlier Thursday, MSJ (10-3) routed the Chaffey College Panthers (10-4), 82-57, as sophomore forward Samuel Williams (Hug, NV) poured in a game-high 33 points and added ten rebounds. Chaffey shot only 27% (20 of 74) from the floor.

In other action Thursday on the championship side of the bracket, the Saddleback College Gauchos (11-1) ran past the Citrus College Owls (3-5), 78-52. The Gauchos broke a 9-9 tie with a 20-5 run en route to a 37-20 halftime advantage. Sophomore center (7'0) Conor Clifford (Ocean View HS) dropped in game highs of 20 points on nine of 12 shooting (of which six baskets were layins) and ten boards for Saddleback.

In another Thursday championship quarterfinal, the San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) Wolverines had an early 13-0 run en route to a 34-8 halftime lead and cruised to a 73-38 win over the Fullerton College Hornets. Four Wolverines scored in double digits, led by sophomore guard Paul Evans (Chino / Don Lugo HS), who came off the bench to drop in 15 markers for SBVC.

Thus, in Friday's first championship semifinal game, Saddleback and SBVC will be meeting for the third time this season. Each has given the other its only loss thus far.

On the consolation side of the bracket, the East Los Angeles College Huskies routed the Los Angeles Trade Technical College Beavers, 104-77, to advance to Friday's first consolation semifinal game at 12 p.m. (in RCC's Huntley Gym) where they will play the El Camino College-Compton Center Tartars, which defeated the University of La Verne junior varsity, 83-63.

Elsewhere on Thursday, the Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) Bear Cubs shaded fellow NorCal squad, the Contra Costa College Comets, 84-79. SRJC will face the Antelope Valley College Marauders on Friday at 2 p.m. in Huntley Gym, thanks to a 94-68 win over the Barstow College Vikings.

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