Cuyamaca's
Huie to Lee
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Cuyamaca College product CHRIS HUIE, a 6-foot-6,
245-pound sophomore, has accepted a basketball scholarship to
NAIA power Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn.
Huie, who averaged 10 points and 10 rebounds as a Lincoln High
senior, was an honorable mention Pacific Coast Conference pick
last season for the Coyotes.
Huie plans to major in elementary education.
(07-21-05)
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Cuyamaca's
Simpson heads for Northern Lights in Montana
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Cuyamaca College graduate RONNIE SIMPSON has
accepted a basketball scholarship to Montana State University-Northern,
an NAIA power.
The Serra High product, who led the Pacific Coast Conference
in scoring at 19.3 points per game, figures to step into a starting
role for the Lights.
Simpson, a 6-foot-4 guard/forward, was eighth in rebounding at
6.5 rebounds per game for the Coyotes as he earned first-team
all-PCC honors.
"Ronnie brings the qualities we desire for our program,
our campus and our community," said MSUN head coach Shawn
Huse. "He is a person who is very focused on basketball
and academics. On the court, he does an excellent job of scoring,
rebounding and passing the basketball. He is a very versatile
player who poses match-up difficulties for opponents. He is a
team player who will fit in well with our team and its concepts."
(06-20-05)
Pierce, Simpson recognized on All-PCC
first team
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Helix High graduate MARLON PIERCE of Cuyamaca College
is the lone freshman named to the eight-team All-Pacific Coast
Conference first team in balloting conducted by the conference's
eight head coaches.
Pierce, a hard-nosed guard, was the conference's leading assist
man while averaging more than 14 points per game for the Coyotes.
Cuyamaca sophomore RONNIE SIMPSON, who averaged more than 19
points per start per game for the Coyotes, was also a first team
pick. Simpson was a second team choice as a freshman.
Grossmont's ANTHONY JAVEY was a second-team pick.
Santana High alum JON STURGILL, who pumped in more than 10 points
per game for Imperial Valley, received honorable mention accolades.
(02-21-05)
2004-05 ALL-PACIFIC COAST CONFERENCE MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM FIRST TEAM NAME COLLEGE HT YR POS. Lafayette Lofton Imperial Valley 6-7 So. F Radee Tutler San Diego City 6-9 So. F Keith Smith Southwestern 6-6 So. F Ronnie Simpson Cuyamaca 6-4 So. F Adam Reinking San Diego Mesa 6-4 So. G/F Charles Lawrence Palomar 6-3 So. G Chris Nickolei Palomar 6-7 So. F Marlon Pierce Cuyamaca 6-2 Fr. G PCC CO-CHAMPIONS: San Diego City and Southwestern PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lafeyette Lofton, Imperial Valley COACH OF THE YEAR: Nick Gehler, Imperial Valley SECOND TEAM Dan Larsen MiraCosta 6-0 Fr. G Ricky Martinez MiraCosta 5-8 Fr. G Adrian Johnson San Diego City 6-3 So. G/F Kharey Wood Southwestern 5-10 So. G Anthony Javey Grossmont 6-1 So. G Mytrell Foreman Southwestern Tommy Arnold San Diego City 6-4 Fr. G HONORABLE MENTION: GROSSMONT: Willie Bailey. CUYAMACA: Chris Huie, Erik Johnson. IMPERIAL VALLEY: Brandon Burgess, Jon Sturgill. PALOMAR: Manny Montano, Curtis Woods. SAN DIEGO CITY: Tito Littleton SAN DIEGO MESA: Chris Robinson. SOUTHWESTERN: George Skrelja
MEN'S BASKETBALL
2004-05 COMMUNITY COLLEGE MEN'S BASKETBALL FINAL STANDINGS including Playoffs PACIFIC COAST CONFERENCE (thru 2-26-05) Conf Overall W- L W- L Pct. SDCC 12- 2 18-10 .643 a-Southwestern 12- 2 18-11 .621 CUYAMACA 9- 5 12-14 .462 Palomar 8- 6 9-15 .375 a-Imperial Vly. 5- 9 8-16 .333 a-MiraCosta 4-10 8-18 .308 SD Mesa 3-11 3-21 .125 b-GROSSMONT 3-11 3-22 .120 a-received forfeit victory b-forfeits 6 games (3 in PCC) SCORES Sat., Feb. 26 Saddleback 96, Southwestern 88 Fri., Feb. 25 L.A. City 95, San Diego City 80
SCORES
Wed., Feb. 23
Southwestern 75, L.A. Harbor 68
San Diego City 96, Fullerton 92 (OT)
. SCORES Sat., Feb. 19 **SDCC 85, Southwestern 83 **Grossmont 83, Cuyamaca 79 (OT) **Palomar 81, MiraCosta 71 **Imperial Valley 76, Mesa 72 . SCORES Wed., Feb. 16 **SDCC 95, Grossmont 78 **Southwestern 81, Cuyamaca 59 **Palomar 71, Imperial Valley 60 **Mesa 91, MiraCosta 79 . Sat., Feb. 12 **Cuyamaca 68, MiraCosta 45 **Palomar 80, Grossmont 65 **Southwestern 92, Imperial Valley 65 **SDCC 85, Mesa 77 SCORES Wed., Feb. 9 Mesa 59, Cuyamaca 56 Imperial Valley 75, Grossmont 70 Southwestern 84, MiraCosta 80 Palomar 80, SDCC 76 Sat., Feb. 5 **Cuyamaca 73, Imperial Valley 70 **Grossmont 90, Mesa 89 (OT) **SDCC 90, MiraCosta 79 **Southwestern 105, Palomar 82= Wed., Feb. 2 **Cuyamaca 72, Palomar 63 **Grossmont 79, MiraCosta 68 **Southwestern 70, Mesa 68 **SDCC 85, Imperial Valley 82 Sat., Jan. 29 **SDCC 64, Cuyamaca 60 (OT) **Southwestern 70, Grossmont 61 **Palomar 98, Mesa 77 **MiraCosta 72, Imperial Valley 67 Wed., Jan. 26 **Cuyamaca 62, Grossmont 59 **SDCC 85, Southwestern 73 **Palomar 75, MiraCosta 70 **Imperial Valley 92, Mesa 68 Sat., Jan. 22 **Southwestern 85, Cuyamaca 73 **SDCC 89, Grossmont 78 **MiraCosta 95, Mesa 93 (3-OT) **Imperial Valley 68, Palomar 65 (OT) Wed., Jan. 19 **Cuyamaca 64, MiraCosta 57 **Palomar 58, Grossmont 50 **Southwestern 54, Imperial Valley 49 **SDCC 71, Mesa 69 Sat., Jan. 15 **Cuyamaca 72, Mesa 67 **Grossmont 75, Imperial Valley 68 **Southwestern 60, MiraCosta 46 **SDCC 80, Palomar 74 Wed., Jan. 12 **Cuyamaca 64, Imperial Valley 46 **Mesa 59, Grossmont 58 **Southwestern 80, Palomar 72 **SDCC 73, MiraCosta 57 Sat., Jan. 8 **Grossmont 65, MiraCosta 63 (OT) **Cuyamaca 74, Palomar 56 **Southwestern 80, Mesa 70 **SDCC 65, Imperial Valley 43 Wed., Jan. 5 **Grossmont 75, Southwestern 62 **Cuyamaca 61, San Diego City 48 **Palomar 85, Mesa 77 **MiraCosta 79, Imperial Valley 62 Wed., Dec. 29 @ Glendale (Calif.) 72, Grossmont 54 Tue., Dec. 28 @ Grossmont 99, Glendale (Ariz.) 96 ^ Saddleback 83, Cuyamaca 35 Mon., Dec. 27 @ Grossmont 78, West Hills 70 ^ Long Beach CC 67, Cuyamaca 46 Fri., Dec. 17 & Rio Hondo 81, Grossmont 76 Wed., Dec. 15 & L.A. Pierce 72, Grossmont 63 Fri., Dec. 10 % Ventura Co. Naval Base 81, Grossmont 80 Thurs., Dec. 9 % Victor Valley (1-4) 76, Grossmont 67 Fri., Dec. 3 Santa Ana 69, Cuyamaca 53 *Barstow (3-4) 73, Grossmont 58 (consol. semis) Thurs., Dec. 2 *Modesto 82, Grossmont 69 (1st round) Sun., Nov. 28 #Citrus 73, Cuyamaca 69 (con. final) Sat., Nov. 27 #Cuyamaca 71, Chaffey 65 (con. semis) Fri., Nov. 26 #LACC 54, Cuyamaca 41 Wed., Nov. 24 Canyons 82, Grossmont 42 Sat., Nov. 20 =Irvine Valley 56, Cuyamaca 48 Fri., Nov. 19 =Long Beach CC 68, Cuyamaca 62 Thus., Nov. 18 =Cuyamaca 56, Riverside 55, OT Sat., Nov. 13 +Imperial Valley 72, Cuyamaca 58 (final) Fri., Nov. 12 +Cuyamaca 64, Golden West 63 (semis) Tue., Nov. 9 Grossmont 76, Barstow 74 Mon., Nov. 8 Irvine Valley 67, Cuyamaca 53
KEY
+ Cuyamaca Tournament
= Irvine Spectrum Bank Classic, at Irvine Valley
# Neil Edwards Tournament, at Citrus
* 33rd annual Grossmont Invitational
% Santa Barbara Classic
& Vaquero Classic, at Glendale (CA)
^ Santa Ana Classic
@ San Diego Mesa Tournament
**Pacific Coast Conference game
GROSSMONT
Griffins have last laugh at Coyotes' expense
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - The Grossmont Griffins finished a long season on a
high note, upending district rival Cuyamaca 83-79 in overtime
Saturday night (Feb. 19) in the Coyotes cage.
"This was a real sweet one," said Grossmont coach DOUG
WEBER. "The guys know that playing Cuyamaca is special.
It was a tough game."
The Griffins outscored the Coyotes 15-10 in the five-minute overtime.
WILLIE BAILEY scored 7 of his 16 points to pace Grossmont
in the extra session.
TAREY DILLARD paced the Griffins with 23 points, the bulk
coming on six 3-pointers. The 6-foot-3 freshman out of Hilltop
High also snagged 13 rebounds.
"Just a fantastic game for Tarey," Weber said.
Weber also praised the defensive work of TROY VALENCIA,
who held Cuyamaca shooting star RONNIE SIMPSON to 11 points,
which is about half his season average.
"If you don't stop Simpson, you don't win the game,"
Weber said.
Cuyamaca coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI was quick to note that Simpson
was battling more than the Grossmont defense.
"Ronnie had the stomach flu and probably shouldn't have
played," Wojtkowski said. "But he did (knowing this
was his last game at Cuyamaca)."
Simpson proved his mettle, scoring half of the Coyotes 10 points
in overtime.
Freshman guard MARLON PIERCE (Helix) punched in 23 points
on 8-for-15 shooting from the floor and 5 of 7 accuracy from
the free throw stripe. Pierce also logged 6 assists, while CHRIS
HUIE netted 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
"I really like this group, and I'm going to miss not having
to practice," Wojtkowski said of the Coyotes, who finished
third in the Pacific Coast Conference with a 9-5 mark. They were
12-14 overall.
"Injuries and illness really hurt in the second half of
the conference season," Wojtkowski added. Cuyamaca was 6-1
and tied for the PCC lead at the midway point of the conference
season, but slumped to 3-4 in the second round.
Grossmont (3-22, 3-11 PCC) lost six wins due to the inadvertent
use of an ineligible player. Thus, the Griffins' on the court
record was 9-16 overall and 6-8 in the conference.
"It's a hard feeling knowing it's over," Weber said.
Grossmont scoring: Tarey Dillard 23, Willie Bailey 16, Anthony
Javey 10, Troy Valencia 9, Mike Usher 7, Michael Fitzhugh 5,
Patrick Hunt 4, Greg Brown 4, Kevin Morgan 4, Gerred Link 1.
Cuyamaca scoring: Marlon Pierce 23, Chris Huie 15, Erik
Johnson 14, Ronnie Simpson 11, Nate Reed 7, John Knights 6, Matt
Patience 2, Michael Okenwa 1.
(02-19-05)
Knights crash boards to crush Griffins
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON -- Facing a starting frontline listed at 6-foot-9, 6-8
and 6-3, Grossmont College had few answers to stop the rebounding
efforts of San Diego City College. The visiting Knights (16-9,
11-2 PCC) crashed the boards for 21 offensive rebounds in the
first half alone Wednesday (Feb. 16), gaining repeated second-chance
efforts to douse the Griffins, 95-78, in Grossmont's final regular-season
home game.
Radee Tutler, the SDCC center, compiled most of the damage, with
12 of his season-high 22 rebounds coming from the offensive glass,
finishing with 18 points, while small forward Adrian Johnson
collected a game-high 21 points.
Grossmont (2-22, 2-11 PCC) stayed close for a while, shooting
50 percent from the floor (14-for-28) in the first half. However,
with its string of second-chances, City took nearly twice as
many shots, eventually extending a 52-36 halftime lead to as
many as 28 points.
TAREY DILLARD drained 7-of-10 shots to score 16 points, sharing
team scoring honors with ANTHONY JAVEY, who came off the
bench to collect 11 of his 16 points in the second half. Dillard
also was the team leader with eight boards, although SDCC held
the team advantage, 58-38.
WILLIE BAILEY added 13 points for Grossmont, while MICHAEL
FITZHUGH added 11 points and six steals.
The Griffins will travel to Cuyamaca on Saturday (Feb. 19) for
their final game of the season at 7 p.m.
Grossmont scoring: Anthony Javey 16, Tarey
Dillard 16, Willie Bailey 13, Michael Fitzhugh 11, Steven Collins
8, Mike Usher 7, Troy Valencia 4, Gerred Link 2, Greg Brown 1.
(02-16-05)
Griffins can't contain Comets' Monatano
in second half
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON -- Matching visiting Palomar shot-for-shot in the 1st
half, the Grossmont Griffins seemed poised to counter the Comets'
size advantage after posting a 39-35 halftime lead.
But when the Comets' defense turned up the pressure, the offense
quickly fizzled in an 80-65 Pacific Coast Conference setback
Saturday (Feb. 12).
The Palomar solution: crash the boards and get the ball
to 6-foot-10 center Manuel Montano, who registered game-highs
of 19 points and 12 rebounds to send the Griffins to their fifth
loss in six starts.
A tight first-half saw Grossmont hit three of their final four
shots from the floor, turning the tables on a 4-point deficit
into a 4-point lead. A total of 10 different Griffins scored,
combining to shoot 16-for-31 from the floor to offset the 15-for-28
accuracy of Palomar.
In the 2nd half, the Comets continued to slide inside, maintaining
their 50 percent shooting by making 13-of-25 attempts. However,
Grossmont faltered quickly, connecting on just 8-of-36 shots,
including just a pair of 3-balls on 13 attempts.
In addition to Montano, three other Comets scored in double figures,
including 16 points and 11 rebounds from Charles Lawrence. Meanwhile,
the top Griffin scorer was guard MIKE USHER, who collected
10 points and four assists.
ANTHONY JAVEY was fouled on a layin to knot the game at 47-all
with 12:56 remaining, but Palomar (7-15 overall, 6-6 PCC) closed
the game on a 33-18 run. Included was a 17-for-19 run at the
foul line in the 2nd half after going a mere 2-for-8 in the 1st
half.
Grossmont (2-10, 2-21) closes the season with a rare 3 p.m. Wednesday
(Feb. 16) home tip-off against San Diego City, then concludes
the slate next Saturday at Cuyamaca.
Grossmont scoring: Mike Usher 10 (4 assists), Willie Bailey 8,
Steven Collins 8, Kevin Morgan 6, Troy Valencia 6 (7 rebounds),
Tarey Dillard 6 (7 rebounds), Patrick Hunt 6, Anthony Javey 6
(5 steals), Quenton Byers 2, Gerred Link 2, Michael Fitzhugh
1, Greg Brown 0 (3 assists).
(02-12-04)
Long trip to the Valley ends
in Griffins setback
EastCountySports.com
IMPERIAL -- In a contest delayed nearly an hour and almost relocated
due to four power failures prior to tip-off Wednesday (Feb. 9),
the longest trip on the Pacific Coast Conference schedule for
Grossmont College became that much longer, especially after suffering
a 75-70 setback to host Imperial Valley.
Arabs center Lafayette Lofton powered the hosts with 25 points
and 14 rebounds to lead both teams. The Griffins stayed within
closing range throughout most of the contest, but never came
through with a decisive play after clipping a 9-point deficit
to a 59-58 margin with 5:34 to play.
Showing signs of fatigue from the travel and the delay, Grossmont
made just 10-of-22 foul shots and were only 6-for-18 from 3-point
range, then were out-muscled inside where IVC held a 49-33 rebounding
advantage. Yet, the Griffins still had chances to win.
"Sure, we were flat -- you can't help that after what happened
today," noted coach DOUG WEBER. "If we just
make one more play here or there, we could easily have won this
game."
Trailing 59-51, Grossmont scored seven straight points thanks
to TAREY DILLARD. The forward fed the ball to an open
GREG BROWN for a short jumper, got fouled on a layin for
a 3-point play, then made a length-of-the-court pass to MICHAEL
FITZHUGH for a breakaway layin to quiet the crowd at the
DePaoli Athletics Center.
However, Lofton who was forced to the bench with his fourth foul
to help trigger the Grossmont run, returned with 4:34 left to
put the hosts back in control. The center drained five straight
foul shots and blocked a pair of shots in the final minutes,
keeping the lead to at least four points to close out the victory.
Dillard finished with 14 points, including 11 in the second half
for Grossmont (2-20 overall, 2-9 PCC). He also recorded four
steals, helping the Griffins win the turnover battle, 23-15.
Meanwhile, the guards did most of the Griffins scoring, as WILLIE
BAILEY paced the Griffins with 18 points, while ANTHONY
JAVEY came off the bench to register 13 points.
Vince McSeee added 14 points for IVC (4-7, 7-14), while Santana
High alum JON STURGILL added 12 points, 10 boards and
five assists for the Arabs.
Grossmont scoring: Willie Bailey 18, Tarey Dillard 14, Anthony
Javey 13, Michael usher 9, Michael Fitzhugh 6, Greg Brown 4,
Patrick Hunt 4, Stephen Collins 2.
(02-09-05)
Griffins almost blow lead, beat Mesa in
overtime
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON -- In a game where neither side
received much satisfaction, at least Grossmont College could
find relief with an ugly victory after blowing an 18-point, second
half lead to nip visiting San Diego Mesa, 90-89 in overtime,
in a Saturday (Feb. 5) night Pacific Coast Conference contest.
Substitute foul shooter GERRED LINK sank one of two free
throws with 6.4 seconds left in overtime to snap the tie, then
a jumper from the foul line by Mesa's Chris Robinson, the son
of former Olympians' All-State great James Robinson, bounced
off the heel of the rim at the final buzzer.
"I know I'm not happy, and I know Mesa's not too happy,"
said Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER. "But we defended
just enough to win it, so I'm not complaining one bit."
Grossmont scored the game's final six points to stun Mesa, which
took an 89-84 lead with 28.1 seconds to play.
The frantic finish started when ANTHONY JAVEY grabbed
an offensive rebound and scored on the put-back to cap a personal
19-point effort. WILLIE BAILEY then knocked the ball out-of-bounds
off a Mesa player for a steal, as Javey's inbounds pass found
a wide-open MIKE USHER for a 3-pointer to knot the contest
at 89-all.
Olympians guard Josh Lipscomb then drove the lane, but the ball
was taken out of his hand on the way up. Javey was credited with
a block by sweeping the ball away and forcing a quick transition
rush as the clock ticked under the 10-second barrier. The fast-break
saw Javey pass to Bailey on his way to the basket, but he never
got a shot off after crashing to the court on a blocking foul,
sending Mesa's Adam Reinking (17 points, 18 rebounds) to the
bench with his fifth foul.
Bailey, who scored 20, was shaken enough to be replaced by Link,
who was limited to a single playing minute due to continuing
ankle woes. However, he still nailed 1-of-2 foul shots with 6.4
seconds left.
Usher scored 13 of his team-high 21 points in the first half
to give Grossmont a 47-34 lead. Then TAREY DILLARD scored
all of his 13 points in the second half to mount a 55-37 lead.
Mesa rallied behind the rebounding of Reinking and the scoring
of Lamar Thomas, who recorded 17 of his game-best 27 points after
the intermission.
The extra session was needed after TROY VALENCIA fed a
perfect pass to Bailey for a short jumper for an 81-80 lead with
12 seconds left. A foolish foul allowed Robinson a chance to
win it for Mesa from the line with 10.8 seconds left, but he
missed the second free throw to extend the contest.
Grossmont scoring: Mike Usher 21, Willie Bailey 20, Anthony Javey
19, Michael Fitzhugh 8, Troy Valencia 5, Steven Collins 3, Gerred
Link 1.
(02-05-05)
Fresh start gives Grossmont
new life
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON -- Playing free and loose with the tension of the Pacific
Coast Conference race lifted Wednesday (Feb. 2), Grossmont College
went out and played one of its best games since capturing its
last conference crown three seasons ago, whipping visiting MiraCosta,
79-68.
The victory becomes the first official triumph for Grossmont,
which learned earlier in the day that it would forfeit its six
previous victories due to questions on a player's eligibility.
The conference is expected to make the official announcement
on Thursday (Feb. 3), although PCC publicist Thomas Saxe said
Wednesday "it's a done deal."
Among the lost victories were three in the first round of PCC
play -- to Southwestern, MiraCosta and Imperial Valley. Thus,
Grossmont's official record is now 1-19 overall and 1-8 in the
conference.
The bad news almost seemed to inspire the Griffins on this night.
With injured point guard GERRED LINK limited to three minutes
of action due to an ankle sprain, MIKE USHER filled in with one
of his best outings with the Griffins. The native of Twenty-nine
Palms scored 13 points and passed for seven assists, including
five helpers in the first half to propel Grossmont to a 47-39
advantage.
"I'm so happy how Mike stepped in and did a great job for
us," said Grossmont head coach DOUG WEBER. "He gave
us solid production all game, and then TROY VALENCIA came off
the bench and scored some important points for us in the second
half."
MiraCosta, which trailed by as many as 13 points in the first
half, trimmed the margin to two and had possession for a chance
to tie. However, ANTHONY JAVEY, who came off the bench to pour
home a game-high 17 points for the Griffins, stole the ball at
midcourt, feeding Valencia for a layin and a foul, leading to
a 3-point play.
WILLIE BAILEY scored 14 points for the home team, then nailed
a pair of jumpers over the final minutes of the first half, including
a 3-ball, building the lead back to 44-32.
The Spartans made one final run to move within 59-55 with 11:05
remaining, but MICHAEL FITZHUGH (7 points, 12 boards), executed
a 3-point play, and STEVEN COLLINS drained a long 3-ball, as
Grossmont pulled away for keeps.
Grossmont scoring: Anthony Javey 17, Willie Bailey 14, Mike Usher
13, Troy Valencia 9, Tarey Dillard 9, Michael Fitzhugh 7, Patrick
Hunt 5, Steven Collins 3, Greg Brown 2.
(02-02-05)
Pace-setting Griffins fall
victim to Jags' final sprint
EastCountySports.com
CHULA VISTA - For one half, at least, the Grossmont Griffins
were on line for a possible upset Saturday night (Jan. 29) at
Southwestern College. They claimed a 21-20 first-half lead over
the Jaguars, who are primary contenders for the Pacific Coast
Conference crown. The pace picked up in the second half, but
the Jaguars won the dash to the finish line, 70-61.
The victory enabled the Jags (11-10, 6-2) to maintain a share
of second place with Cuyamaca (10-10, 6-2) in the PCC, one game
behind front-running San Diego City.
Grossmont, which opened the PCC campaign with a 75-62 win over
Southwestern, kept the heat on in the rematch.
"We wanted to be aggressive," Grossmont coach DOUG
WEBER said. "Yet we shot only 2 free throws in the first
half and did not go to the line again until there was less than
two minutes left in the game."
Grossmont finished 7-for-12 from the charity stripe. Southwestern
was 11-for-19, much of that coming as the Griffins were fouling
in hopes of erasing a 13-point deficit in the final 3:30.
"They pulled away from us in the second by just pounding
the ball inside," Weber said.
Returning All-PCC forward Keith Smith, a powerful 6-foot-6 sophomore,
dissected the Griffins for a game-high 27 points. All but six
of his points came after intermission.
WILLIE BAILEY led Grossmont with 16 points, while TAREY DILLARD
popped in 14.
"Dillard had his best all-around game of the season,"
Weber said.
GREG BROWN chipped in 8 points for the Griffins, who will host
MiraCosta on Wednesday (Feb.2) at 7 p.m.
(01-29-05)
Another loss has Griffins looking up in standings
EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO - The Grossmont Griffins are gradually setting themselves up to play a spoiler's role in the Pacific Coast Conference basketball race. Not by choice, mind you. The Griffins suffered their third loss in four starts Saturday night (Jan. 22), falling to San Diego City College 89-78 at San Diego High.
Grossmont (6-11, 3-3) trailed the Knights 52-29 by halftime as Adrian Johnson drained four 3-pointers.
WILLIE BAILEY (Crawford High) paced the Griffins with 23 points.
"He was more than just a high scorer for us," Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER said of Bailey. "He played fantastic defense."
MIKE USHER added 15 points for Grossmont.
"We stayed with them for about six or seven minutes, then TROY VALENCIA turned an ankle and we never came back," Weber said.
Grossmont closes the first round of conference play by hosting Cuyamaca on Wednesday (Jan. 26) at 5 p.m. The Coyotes are tied with SDCC and Southwestern for the PCC lead at 5-1. One of Grossmont's wins is over Southwestern.
(01-26-05)
Comets use dome-court advantage to give
Griffins fits
EastCountySports.com
SAN MARCOS - Built in 1959, the Palomar College dome consists
of 575 diamond-shaped panels of aluminum, measuring a mere .081-inch
thick. The dome is an architectural marvel, but as a place to
shoot a basketball, visiting teams have long cursed at the unusual
shooting background and unorthodox lighting. Add Grossmont College
to the list.
Both the visiting Griffins and the host Comets suffered lengthy
cold spells in Wednesday night's (Jan. 19) Pacific Coast Conference
contest won by Palomar 58-50.
Designed by R. Buchminster Fuller, an internationally renown
scientist, engineer and architect, the Palomar dome was the basis
for designing the 1967 Montreal World Exhibition building, using
an assortment of hexagons and a small number of pentagons to
create a curved surface.
The Griffins weren't interested in any history lessons on Wednesday.
Grossmont's starters combined for a mere 4 points in the first
half, as the host Comets mounted a 34-18 halftime lead.
The second half featured forward TROY VALENCIA, who didn't start
when Grossmont elected to start four guards to gain better match-ups.
But when the experiment failed, Valencia scored 11 points to
help the Griffins (6-10, 3-2) out of a 16-point hole.
Grossmont put together a 22-4 run to begin the second half, taking
a 40-38 advantage. Then tug-o-war began before the Comets (3-12,
2-3) eventually took a 48-47 lead they wouldn't lose.
Chris Nickolei scored all 10 points in the first half for Palomar,
then Josh Knight collected 10 of his team-high 12 points in the
second half, including a pair of long jumpers in the final minutes
after Grossmont rallied back to claim a short-lived lead.
Grossmont's bench nearly pulled out the victory.
MIKE USHER nailed a pair of 3-balls from off the bench, scoring
eight of his game-high 13 points in the first half, while forward
TAREY DILLARD added six points in a reserve role just to get
the Griffins on the first-half scoreboard.
However, Knight scored eight points over the final 3:50, including
a jumper with 3:50 left for a 46-45 lead, then registered the
rest over the final 1:25.
Matt Twamley led the Comets with 11 points, 11 rebounds and four
assists. Charles Lawrence, the conference's leading rebounder,
pulled down 15 caroms.
The Griffins, who have fallen into 4th place, will find out if
they are contenders or pretenders in their next two games. They
host second-place San Diego City College on Saturday (Jan. 22
at 7 p.m.) and then entertain front-running Cuyamaca (Wednesday,
Jan. 26 at 5 p.m.).
Grossmont scoring: Mike Usher 13, Troy Valencia 11, Michael Fitzhugh
9, Tarey Dillard 8, Anthony Javey 7, Kevin Morgan 2.
(01-19-05)
Griffins get out of another hole to keep IVC winless in PCC
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON -- Facing the bottom quadrant from the Pacific Coast Conference this week, Grossmont College seemed in position for a short breather in order to prepare for a trio of up-tempo opponents coming up on the schedule. Instead, the Griffins fought to survive with just a split, overcoming another early deficit to escape past visiting Imperial Valley, 75-68, Saturday (Jan. 15).
"We can't keep putting ourselves in a hole like that, giving up the first six or eight points every
game," noted Griffins coach DOUG WEBER. "And we have to put teams away when we have a chance."
After doing neither in falling to Mesa earlier in the week, Grossmont again found itself down 6-0 and 13-7 out of the gate to the Arabs. However, the Griffins utilized a 13-2 run to grab the lead for keeps, but not without a dogfight.
Behind 23 points and 11 rebounds by Imperial Valley forward Lafayette Lofton, the Arabs trimmed an 11-point Grossmont lead down to six and seemed on the verge of completing the rally.
However, a pair of Griffins gained control of the ball and simply drove to the basket to end the upset aspirations of the last-place Arabs (3-11, 0-4). The first came on a steal by forward MICHAEL FITZHUGH, who got his hand in the passing lane to tip the ball, then dribbling coast-to-coast for a layin and a 3-point play with 3:37 remaining.
Lofton answered with a pair of layins to move IVC within 67-62, so it was ANTHONY JAVEY's turn to take control. Over consecutive possessions, Javey beat his IVC defender off the dribble and raced to the basket, once pulling up for a 5-footer, then racing all the way to get fouled on a layin for a 71-64 advantage with 58.2 seconds left.
The Griffins (6-9 overall, 3-1 PCC) then drained 4-of-6 foul shots in the final minute, to secure the win and maintained their position among three teams tied for second place, one game behind front-running Cuyamaca.
Javey paced the Griffins with 15 points, one of four teammates to reach double figures. Fitzhugh added 14 points and five boards, guard GERRED LINK poured in 14 points and recorded four assists, and WILLIE BAILEY connected for 11 points.
Santana High product JON STURGILL scored 10 points for IVC, and matched his season-high with eight assists, as the Arabs ran their offense through the sophomore all night.
Other Grossmont scoring: Tarey Dillard 7, Troy Valencia 6, Greg Brown 4, Quenton Byers 3, Mike Usher 2.
(01-15-05)
Mesa cracks win column at expense of Griffins
EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO -The Grossmont Griffins took another Pacific Coast
Conference game down to the wire Wednesday (Jan. 12). This time
they got "clothes lined" at the finish. Worse yet,
they got beat by a host San Diego Mesa team that had lost all
of its previous 12 games. The Olympians stunned the Griffins
59-58 on a Lamar Thomas basket with 5 seconds remaining.
It was only the second loss in the last six starts for the Griffins
(2-1, 5-9), but it knocked them out of a first-place tie with
Cuyamaca.
"We were kind of lackadaisical for the first 10 minutes
at Mesa," said Grossmont assistant coach GARY MELLINGER.
"We wanted to go over there and take an early lead."
Instead, Mesa led 30-23 by halftime.
The Griffins, who received 20 points from WILLIE BAILEY, eventually
scrambled back in the second half. They held a 5-point lead with
8 minutes remaining, but couldn't hold on.
"We didn't match Mesa's intensity, and it cost us,"
Mellinger said.
Grossmont will attempt to get back on the winning track Saturday
(Jan. 15) when the Griffins host Imperial Valley College at 7
p.m.
(01-12-05)
Griffins' defensive plays in overtime are difference against MiraCosta
EastCountySports.com
OCEANSIDE -- Both teams could find plenty
of excuses for a loss, yet just as many reasons could be found
to garner a victory. But in the end, consecutive defensive stops
by WILLIE BAILEY and MICHAEL FITZHUGH proved to
be the pivotal difference for Grossmont College, as both players
took-the-charge to prevent baskets and force turnovers during
overtime, helping the Griffins nip host MiraCosta, 65-63.
GERRED LINK scored 12 of his team-high 17 points in the second
half for Grossmont, which holds a share of the early Pacific
Coast Conference lead at 2-0 with district rival Cuyamaca.
"We stepped up on defense in the second half and overtime,
especially those plays by Willie and Fitz," said Link, who
also passed the ball for a game-best six assists. "We finally
started helping out, yet getting there quick enough to make a
difference."
A controversial call in the final seconds of regulation nearly
gave MiraCosta the win, which would've placed the Spartans into
first place instead of the Griffins. Guard Dan Larson drove the
lane in an attempt to tie the game, but as he sank the layin
to knot the contest at 60-all, a blocking foul was called, giving
Larson a chance to win the game from the free-throw line with
0:04 remaining.
However, Larson, like the rest of his MiraCosta teammates all
contest long, kept a disturbing trend by badly missing the free
throw, sending the game into overtime. The Spartans were a paltry
18-for-32 at the line, including a middle school-like three air-balls
and three other balls which barely ticked off the side of the
rim.
In the extra session, ANTHONY JAVEY, one of four Griffins
to score in double figures, got two of his 12 points in a drive
to the basket for a layin. Then the defense took over when Bailey
(11 points) and Fitzhugh (6 boards, 4 assists) stood their ground
for charge calls.
Bailey followed by nailing a 3-ball from the baseline for a 65-62
lead with 2:48 to play, then the game went scoreless the rest
of the way except for a single MiraCosta foul shot with 2:09
left.
"Sure, some people might call it lucky, but you take what
you can get on the road," added Link. "That's basketball
on the road and we'll take it."
TAREY DILLARD added 10 points and five boards for Grossmont,
while Javey added five steals.
MiraCosta received a game-high 18 points from Mark Sammons, including
11 in the first half to build a 40-30 advantage at intermission.
Ricky Martinez added 17 points, while Owen Olson was the game's
leading rebounder with 11.
Grossmont scoring: Gerred Link 17, Anthony Javey 12, Willie Bailey
11, Tarey Dillard 10, Mike Usher 4, Patrick Hunt 4, Michael Fitzhugh
4, Troy Valencia 3.
(01-08-05)
Griffins nearly flawless in conference-opening
rout of Jaguars
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON -- It's one thing to take care of the basketball, but
when Grossmont College was also able to execute plays without
being hindered by mistakes, visiting Southwestern College never
was given a chance to climb out of a huge, first-half hole.
The Griffins shot nearly 50 percent in the first half to mount
a 36-21 lead, then committed a mere five turnovers in the second
half en route to a 75-62 pasting of the Jaguars in Wednesday's
(Jan. 5) Pacific Coast Conference opener for both sides.
Sharp-shooting guard WILLIE BAILEY nailed 4-of-7 shots from beyond
the arc as part of his team-high 18 points for the Griffins (4-8,
1-0), who have won three of their last four games.
"You can just look at the stat sheet to see why we won,"
noted Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER. "They (the Jaguars) only
had one assist in the entire first half, while we shot great
because everyone was passing the ball and running the offense."
"Look at this: We had nine different guys score, (yet) seven
of our guys also got assists. I couldn't be more pleased."
With the opening night victory, Grossmont not only grabs an early
share of the conference lead, the Griffins knocked off one of
the teams many considered to be a contender for the crown.
"Ever since the Mesa Tournament, the team is buying into
what we want to do with the ball," added Weber. "And
now, everyone is getting playing time and building their stats
-- and we're winning."
The Griffins opened the first half on a 9-0 run, then closed
the period on a 14-3 streak. The late run included a pair of
wide open 3-balls by Bailey, plus four layins, including a pair
by GERRED LINK, as Southwestern seemed helpless to defend, managing
just one steal in the opening 20 minutes.
Grossmont then changed gears after intermission, precisely protecting
the ball. The Jags cut the margin under 10 points just once,
but the Griffins quickly answered with another 3-ball and a pair
of foul shots by Bailey, a steal and breakaway layin by MIKE
USHER.
PATRICK HUNT took a charge on defense, following up on the other
end with his own 3-ball for a 61-47 Grossmont advantage.
Link capped a near-perfect shooting performance for his 14 points,
hitting 4-for-5 from the floor and all six of his foul shots.
He also registered five assists against just one turnover to
help the Griffins beat the Southwestern press throughout.
On defense, TROY VALENCIA grabbed 10 boards, while Bailey and
Usher each took-the-charge twice to force turnovers on player-control
fouls.
Southwestern was paced by George Skrelja, who scored a game-high
20 points, but was charged with six turnovers. Meanwhile, Jags
center Ron Coleman had eight boards and five blocks, but failed
to score a point all night when the Griffins defense collapsed
on him.
Other Grossmont scoring: Usher 10, Michael Fitzhugh 9, Anthony
Javey 7, Tarey Dillard 6, Valencia 5, Quenton Byers 4, Hunt 2.
TIP-INS: Grossmont's ANTHONY JAVEY was named the PCC Men's Athlete
of the Week. The 6-foot-2, sophomore guard from Point Loma High,
earned all-tournament honors at the San Diego Mesa Holiday Classic
last week.
(01-05-05)
Down 20 at half, Griffins no threat in
tournament title game
EastCountySports.com
KEARNY MESA - The Grossmont Griffins did not play championship
basketball in Wednesday's (Dec. 29) finals of the 38th annual
San Diego Mesa Tournament. An eight-minute scoreless spell in
the first half spelled disaster for the Griffins, who were knocked
out by Glendale (Ca.) 72-54.
"We got stuck on 5 points and I called three timeouts before
we finally started scoring again," Grossmont coach DOUG
WEBER said. "Then we were playing catch up.
"Glendale is a very good, athletic team. They put on great
pressure defensively and make plays on the offensive end."
Grossmont trailed 40-20 at the half.
"We won the second half and maybe get a half-point like
the old CBA (Continental Basketball Association)," Weber
said. "Seriously, though, we got a better effort in the
second half. We were a little more patient offensively and finally
got some shots to fall. Defensively, changed it up some and made
some very good stops."
ANTHONY JAVEY paced the Griffins (3-8) with 19 points and was
named to the all-tournament team. WILLIE BAILEY also made the
all-tournament team.
PATRICK HUNT, MIKE USHER and STEVEN COLLINS came off the bench
to contribute 6 points apiece for the Griffins.
Grossmont opens the Pacific Coast Conference season hosting preseason
favorite Southwestern on Wednesday (Jan. 5) at 7 p.m.
(12-29-04)
Griffins in Mesa Tournament title game
after back-to-back wins
EastCountySports.com
KEARNY MESA - After a seven-week skid without tasting victory,
Grossmont College has suddenly posted back-to-back victories
and finds itself playing in Wednesday's (Dec. 29) championship
game of the 38th annual San Diego Mesa Tournament.
The Griffins (3-7) enjoyed their highest scoring output of the
season on Tuesday (Dec. 28) as they edged Glendale (Ariz.) 99-96
in the semifinals. They will meet the winner of Tuesday's Glendale
(Ca.)-Cypress game for the tournament title at 4 p.m.
Grossmont surged to a 20-point lead midway through the first
half, Grossmont assistant coach GARY MELLINGER said of the semifinal
win.
"We did a good job of breaking their press," Mellinger
said. "And we've done some things to simplify our offense.
But most of all our kids are learning to play together. I like
what I see in our team chemistry."
No individual scoring totals were available.
(12-28-04)
Griffins' snap 7-game losing streak in Mesa Tournament
EastCountySports.com
KEARNY MESA -- Riding an 7-game losing streak, the Grossmont Griffins were willing to accept any break they could get. So when West Hills -- the community college in Coalinga, not the high school -- arrived from the Central Valley without its 6-foot-9 center from the Sudan, the Griffins found the opening they desperately needed.
Without needing to pay extra attention inside, Griffins guards WILLIE BAILEY and JARRED LINK combined to shoot 12-for-13 from the field, as Grossmont mounted a 22-point lead en route to defeating the Falcons, 78-70, in Monday's (Dec. 27) opening round of the 38th annual San Diego Mesa Tournament.
The victory vaulted the Griffins (2-7) into Tuesday's (Dec. 28) tournament semifinals against Glendale (Ariz.) at Mesa at 4 p.m.
Bailey, who didn't even play in Grossmont's last outing, was a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor, including a pair of 3-point goals, for a team-high 17 points. Meanwhile, Link scored nine points in the first half, then sank a 3-ball to open the second half to build a 45-29 lead.
"If someone got beat, someone was there to rotate and to help out on defense," noted Bailey. "And we shared the ball well on offense."
West Hills (8-3), ranked 14th in California, attempted various presses to slow Grossmont down. Instead, Bailey created a series of openings, keying a 13-3 run in the second half to build the margin to 71-49 with 6:26 remaining. Included was a 3-point shot, an assist on a TROY VALENCIA layin, and then he combined with Link to dive on a loose ball during a mad scramble to gain possession of the ball and further frustrate the Falcons.
ANTHONY JAVEY and MIKE PERRAM added 10 points each for Grossmont, helping offset a 21-point effort from West Hills guard Stan Harley.
Grossmont shot a season-best 57 percent (30-for-53), while out-rebounding the Falcons, 36-28, including eight boards by center MICHAEL FITZHUGH, who sat out several minute after re-opening a cut along his right brow which resulted in more than 20 stitches earlier this season.
"Itâ's a different guy for us every night -- we don't have that one go-to guy for scoring," noted head coach DOUG WEBER. "Willie didn't even play in our last game, not because he did anything wrong, but he just didn't fit the rotation we were playing that game; we seem to have a different unit out there every game because of all the injuries we've had."
Other Grossmont scoring: Fitzhugh 8, Tarey Dillard 7, Mike Usher 4, Patrick Hunt 4, Kevin Morgan 2, Valencia 2.
(12-27-04)
Griffins swap lead several times with Rio Hondo, but fall short
EastCountySports.com
GLENDALE - It was another tournament of two and out for the struggling Grossmont College Griffins Friday night (Dec. 17) as they fell to Rio Hondo 81-76 in a consolation elimination game of the Vaqueros' Invitational at Glendale College.
Trailing 38-32 at intermission, the Griffins began the second half with an 8-0 run. The lead then changed hands a half dozen times, Grossmont enjoying its final advantage 60-59 with 5 minutes left.
"We played well enough to win," Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER said. "It's just a matter of learning how to win."
Next up for the Griffins (1-7) is the San Diego Mesa College Christmas Tournament, which pits Grossmont against West Hills of Coalinga Monday, Dec. 27 at noon.
(12-17-04)
Sixth-straight defeat has Griffins spiraling
downward
EastCountySports.com
GLENDALE - The downward spiral continued Wednesday
(Dec. 15) for the Grossmont College Griffins, who suffered their
sixth straight loss - falling to Los Angeles Pierce College 81-69
in the opening round of the Vaqueros' Invitational at Glendale
College.
TAREY DILLARD (Hilltop High) scored 16 points, GERRAD LINK landed
15 points and ANTHONY JAVEY added 10 for the Griffins (1-6).
The topsy-turvy Griffins trailed Pierce 42-29 at the break, but
made a strong showing in the second half. They trailed only 66-63
with a minute to play, but fouled the Brahmas in hopes their
shooters would miss in the clutch.
Sound strategy, but Pierce (2-6) failed to miss its foul shots
at crunch time.
"We held them to 30 points in the second half, which is
the best half of defense we've played all year," Grossmont
coach DOUG WEBER said. "We just haven't been able to put
two halves of defense together."
Grossmont faces the loser of Thursday's (Dec. 16) Rio Hondo-Glendale
game in Friday's consolation semifinals at 4 p.m.
(12-17-04)
Griffins can't find winning formula against
Ventura Naval Base
EastCountySports.com
SANTA BARBARA - The Grossmont College Griffins (1-5) limped home
after suffering an 81-80 loss to the Ventura Naval Base team
in Friday's (Dec. 10) consolation round of the Santa Barbara
Tournament. The loss - Grossmont's fifth in a row - eliminates
the Griffins from the tourney play.
MIKE FITZHUGH, who required 20 stitches to close a gash above
his eyebrow suffered in Thursday's opening round, led the Griffins
with 13 points and 8 rebounds against the Navy. Guard NATE HARVEY
added 12 points for Grossmont.
The Griffins led 40-33 at halftime, but faltered down the stretch.
It was the second consecutive tournament that the Griffins have
gone two and out.
Earlier this week GORDON BROWN broke his hand in practice. It
was previously reported that GREG BROWN suffered the hand injury.
Six-foot-6 Gordon Brown is a key returning sophomore that the
Griffins will surely miss.
Next up for the Griffins is the Vaquero Classic at Glendale College.
Grossmont opens that three-day tournament on Wednesday (Dec.
15) against Los Angeles Pierce (1-6) at 5 p.m.
(12-10-04)
Beat up Griffins can't get by Victor Valley
EastCountySports.com
SANTA BARBARA - The battered and bruised Grossmont College Griffins
suffered a 76-67 loss to Victor Valley in Thursday's (Dec. 9)
opening round of the Santa Barbara Tournament. In the process
of enduring their fourth straight loss after a season opening
victory, the Griffins were nicked once again with an injury -
this time to their leading scorer.
With 10 minutes left in the game Grossmont drew even with the
Rams (1-4), then lost MIKE FITZHUGH (18 points) when he suffered
a cut over his eyebrow.
"After the game we took him to a hospital and they put 20
stitches in his eyebrow," said Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER.
"The doctor said he can play Friday, but we'll have the
trainers have a look at him and decide then. We're kind of the
'walking wounded.'"
Earlier this week GREG BROWN broke his hand in practice, and
TROY VALENCIA is still feeling the effects of a slight concussion
suffered last week in the Grossmont Tournament.
Victor Valley led 41-28 at intermission.
"We played about 30 minutes and the 10 minutes we didn't
play is when we lost the game," Weber said. "We just
dug ourselves a hole and for about a six-minute stretch at the
half we let down. We played just an OK first half and a great
second half."
TAREY DILLARD added 12 points for the Griffins, who also received
10 points and 8 rebounds from MIKE PERRAM.
Weber was pleased with his team's free throw shooting percentage.
"We shot 17 for 24 at the line," he said. "We'll
take 70 percent anytime."
The Griffins will face the Ventura Naval Base team in Friday's
(Dec. 10) consolation round at 5 p.m.
(12-09-04)
Watson powers No. 1 Gauchos to Grossmont Invitational title
EL CAJON - Former El Camino High
standout and All-County player Mikel Watson poured in a game-high
23 points, propelling Saddleback College (7-0), the top-ranked
team in California, to an 82-74 decision over College of the
Desert in Saturday's (Dec. 4) championship of the 33rd annual
Grossmont College Invitational.
Watson was joined on the all-tournament team by teammate Dominique
Ricks, the Gauchos' center, who scored 13 points and grabbed
a tournament-best 16 rebounds. COD forward Earl Issacson was
also selected after leading the Roadrunners (7-2) with 17 points
and 11 boards.
Elsewhere, forward Houston Downey earned all-tournament honors,
leading Cypress past Modesto, 69-57, in the third-place contest;
while Ryan Mathews canned five 3-point shots en route to 25 points,
powering Barstow past Southwestern, 84-75, in the consolation
final.
(12-04-04)
Griffins have hard time tasting victory
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Almost a month after opening the season with a triumph
over Barstow, the Grossmont Griffins haven't even sniffed at
a victory. So when the Griffins were again paired against the
Vikings in Friday's (Dec. 3) consolation semifinals of the 33rd
annual Grossmont College Invitational, optimism was high for
a return to the win column.
However, Barstow had other ideas after Ryan Mathews poured in
a game-high 22 points to extend the Griffins losing string to
three games following a surprisingly easy 73-58 decision.
Mathews came off the bench to connect on 10-of-13 shots from
the floor, then joined his teammates in disrupting Grossmont's
offense. The hosts shot 39 percent, including 2-for-15 from 3-point
range.
The Vikings (3-4) built an 18-point lead, 50-32, early in the
second half, but Grossmont ran off 10 straight points to get
close, including a three-point play by MICHAEL FITZHUGH,
who earned his first start of the season following a strong outing
in Thursday's opening-round tournament loss to Modesto.
Fitzhugh and MIKE USHER led the Griffins (1-3) with 13
points, but the team went cold again just as Barstow forward
Nathan Rex got hot, sinking eight of his 19 points to build the
lead back to 17 points.
Barstow advanced to the Saturday's consolation final against
Southwestern, which downed Cuesta, 86-72.
In the championship bracket, Southwestern defeated Cuesta 86-72,
and College of the Desert downed Cypress 80-72. Results were
not made available for the last game of the night between Saddleback
and Modesto.
(12-03-04)
Pirates finish with game's final 13 points
to take away from Griffins' work
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - The results from more than nine minutes of hard work
disappeared in an instant after Grossmont College rallied from
an 11-point deficit to finally catch Modesto in Thursday's (Dec.
2) opener of the 33rd annual Grossmont Invitational. However,
after the Griffins knotted the game at 31-all, a letdown ensued
and the Pirates ran off the game's next 13 points, comfortably
winning 82-69 to advance to Friday's (Dec. 3) semifinals.
Modesto (2-3) will take on Saddleback, an 84-72 victor over Barstow,
while the visitors from the high desert meet Grossmont (1-2)
in the 4 p.m. consolation semifinals.
The cold-shooting Griffins converted just 7-of-33 first-half
shots, once trailing 26-15 before cutting the deficit to 26-18
at the half. But the hosts came back, capped by a TROY VALENCIA
three-point-play and a TAREY DILLARD layin to tie the game with
14:38 remaining.
"I guess we hit a wall or something, but we just suddenly
stopped playing with enthusiasm and it spread to our defense,"
noted Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER. "We starting standing
around, which caused us to foul."
And for the next three minutes, Modesto started a parade to the
foul line, sinking 7-of-8 foul shots, while three other Pirates
possessions resulted in drives to the basket for layins to push
the margin back to 44-31, with the lead remaining in double figures
the rest of the way.
"It's disappointing the way we shot, and then on how we
played defense after we caught up," added Weber. "We
still have a lot of things to work on."
Grossmont guard NATE HARVEY almost single-handedly kept the game
close in the first half, when he scored 10 of his 14 points.
Otherwise, the Griffins collected just three other baskets from
the rest of the team.
GORDON BROWN grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Griffins.
In Thursday's other tournament openers, College of the Desert
nipped Southwestern, 75-72, while Cypress romped past Cuesta,
82-57.
Friday's schedule -- Consolation semifinals: Southwestern vs.
Cuesta, 2 p.m.; Barstow at Grossmont, 4 p.m.; Semifinals: Desert
vs. Cypress, 6 p.m.; Saddleback vs. Modesto, 8 p.m.
(12-03-04)
Griffins' effort sends Canyons' fans home early with assured win
EastCountySports.com
VALENCIA - Not playing a game for two weeks, coupled with a tedious four-plus hour drive north, added up to a disastrous Wednesday night (Nov. 24) at College of the Canyons for the visiting Grossmont Griffins.
"It looked like a first night type of deal for us," Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER said. "We turned the ball over 25 times, missed 15 free throws (in 28 attempts) and made only one 3-pointer compared to 7 for Canyons. We played like we had a case of the first-night jitters."
Not a good night for the Griffins (1-1). No argument there.
It wasn't even the best of nights for the Cougars (1-3) of College of the Canyons, who bolted to a 14-2 lead and led 38-14 by intermission.
So lopsided was this game that COC sophomore forward Everett Bryson told the Santa Clarita Signal newspaper, "My parents left early."
The Griffins never put together a run. Their leading scorer in the game was forward GORDON BROWN, who had just six points.
NEXT UP
The Griffins will host the 33rd annual Grossmont College Tournament beginning Thursday, Dec. 2 and running through Saturday, Dec. 4. Unlike some years, this eight-team field is talent-laden. At the top of the list is Saddleback, the No. 1-ranked squad in the state. The Gauchos take on Barstow at 6 p.m. and the Griffins host Modesto in the 8 p.m. nightcap of the 1st round. Other games match Pacific Coast Conference favorite Southwestern against College of the Desert at 2 p.m. and Cypress vs. Cuesta at 4 p.m.
(11-24-04)
Far from missing, Link hits game-winner
in final seconds
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Freshman guard GERRED LINK,
who sat out large portions of the first half with foul trouble,
scooped in a 7-footer from the lane with 4.1 seconds remaining
Tuesday (Nov. 9), handing Grossmont College a victory in its
season opener, 76-74, over visiting Barstow College. It was Grossmont's
first season opening win in four years.
Link, who hails from Van Nuys and played his high school ball
at Chaminade Prep, saw his planned pass to the corner denied
by the Vikings, so he simply drove to the basket and flipped
in the game-winner. Barstow's final chance was denied when returning
sophomore GORDON BROWN held his ground at the top of the
key, stealing the ball before the Vikings could release a final
shot.
"The play broke down and I had nowhere to pass," noted
Link, who finished with nine points. "So I just looked toward
the basket."
Griffins forward MIKE PERRAM scored 10 of his game-high
18 points in the second half, lifting Grossmont to mount an 8-point
lead. But the margin disappeared when Barstow utilized a 20-6
run to claim a 59-53 lead with 8:31 remaining.
However, the shot-blocking skills of NATE HARVEY and WILLIE
BAILEY - a pair of 5-foot-9 guards - powered the comeback.
Both rejected a pair of shots down the stretch, giving the Griffins
a 73-72 lead in the final minute.
Barstow's Ryan Boyse, who matched Perram with 18 points, then
stole an inbounds pass and released on an apparent breakaway
layin. However, Harvey, who trailed by as much as 20 feet on
the turnover, hustled back and skyed behind Boyse to reject the
shot from behind with 24 seconds left.
Grossmont's DELOREAN WALTON picked up the loose ball and
was fouled, sinking one foul shot, but Boyse converted a pair
of foul shots with 12.9 left to set-up Link's heroics.
"Those were some huge blocks by Nate and Willie," added
Link, who comes from a basketball family, including his father,
who now coaches after playing professionally in Europe. "Then
the rest of us rebounded and played hard - everyone did a great
job."
It was the third straight barnburner finish in the season opener
between these schools.
"Last year, we went into overtime, then the year before
went much like this game, with a last-second shot deciding it,"
said Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER, recalling the most recent
meetings between these two teams. "We almost gave it away,
but a lot of players made positive plays for us."
Brown paced the defense with 12 rebounds while scoring 11 points,
while ANTHONY JAVEY, who replaced Link when his fouls
mounted, scored 11 from off the bench.
(11-09-04)
Room for improvement as Griffins open with
Barstow
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Grossmont College tips off the season Tuesday night
(Nov. 9) when the Griffins welcome Barstow College to town for
a non-conference opener at 6 p.m.
The Griffins, who return four players from last year's 9-17 team,
take on a Barstow squad that finished 11-14 a year ago.
One thing coach DOUG WEBER has to be proud about is that he's
sent 21 players to the next level in his six seasons as the Griffins'
head coach. Included in that group are last year's All-Pacific
Coast Conference performers DONALD DESHOTELS (Sonoma State),
NICK STEPHENS (Holy Names of the Golden State Athletic Conference)
and JEREMEY LOPEZ (New Mexico Highlands). In addition, reserve
NICK PALLADINO grabbed a ride with Chapman University.
(11-08-04)
CUYAMACA
Jaguars too much for Coyotes, dash Cuyamaca
playoff chances
EastCountySports.com
CHULA VISTA -- Any hope of the Cuyamaca
College Coyotes reaching the
Southern California Regional playoffs were dashed in rather rapid
fashion
Wednesday (Feb. 16) by front-running Southwestern College. The
Pacific
Coast Conference-leading Jaguars vaulted to a 47-34 halftime
lead and
continued on for an 81-59 victory.
Southwestern (17-9, 12-1) can take the
PCC title outright with a
victory over second-place San Diego City (16-9, 11-2) in Saturday's
(Feb.
18) regular-season finale at San Diego High. Should SDCC win,
the
conference would have co-champions. Either way, Southwestern
coach JOHN
COSENTINO will be taking his Jaguars to the state playoffs for
the 15th
consecutive season.
Meanwhile, with its playoff hopes gone,
Cuyamaca (12-13, 9-4) must
focus on bringing its record to the .500 level when its entertains
Grossmont in Saturday's regular-season finale.
"Southwestern shot really well and
really D'd up on us," said Coyotes
coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI. "They will be a difficult opponent
in the
playoffs, no matter what seed they get."
Jags guard Kharey Wood registered 22 of
his game-high 30 points in the
first half, including four of his five 3-balls.
Cuyamaca received 19 points and 5 assists
from guard MARLON PIERCE,
while sophomore standout RONNIE SIMPSON scored 17 points.
The Jaguars dominated the Coyotes on the boards, 46-21.
Cuyamaca scoring: Marlon Pierce 19, Ronnie
Simpson 17, Erik Johnson 8,
John Knights 6, Nate Reed 4, Matt Patience 2, Chris Huie 2, Pur
Lam 1.
(02-16-05)
Coyotes likely need furious finish to make playoffs
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Despite their third-place standing in the eight-member Pacific Coast Conference, the Cuyamaca Coyotes aren't guaranteed a thing as far as post-season play is concerned. Cuyamaca clubbed MiraCosta 68-45 on Saturday (Feb. 12), but remains two games behind Pacific Coast Conference-leading Southwestern and a game back of second place San Diego City. Only 2 games remain in the regular season. Even if the Coyotes sweep their final encounters at Southwestern (Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 5 p.m.) and Grossmont Saturday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.), they are a long shot to earn a berth in the 20-team Southern California Regionals.
Cuyamaca coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI hasn't given up on making the playoffs.
"The only berth our conference is guaranteed is to our champion," Wojtkowski said. "Our second place finisher has a decent shot at making it, but our third place team is probably out of the picture."
Cuyamaca (12-12, 9-3) led the visiting Spartans 34-24 at the half, and maintained that advantage until the final 5 minutes. From there, the Coyotes broke the game open.
"I was pleased with our intensity the whole game," Wojtkowski said. "We did a superb job defensively. We shut them down, closed out their offensive options."
RONNIE SIMPSON cast in a game-high 22 points to pace the Coyotes. MARLON PIERCE punched in 16 points, while logging 4 assists and a pair of steals. ERIK JOHNSON added 11 points and 6 rebounds.
"In my seven years at Cuyamaca, this is the best group of guys Iâ've ever coached," Wojtkowski said.
Cuyamaca scoring: Ronnie Simpson 22, Marlon Pierce 16, Erik Johnson 11, Matt Patience 6, John Knights 5, Nate Reed 4, Michael Okenwa 2, Pur Lam 2.
(02-12-05)
Loss to Mesa is big blow to Coyotes' championship hopes
EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego Mesa College Olympians have become the Pacific Coast Conference experts at losing close games. In other words, it's been a year of agony without the thrill of victory for coach ED HELSCHER's crew. That changed a bit on Wednesday night (Feb. 9), however, as Mesa stunned the visiting Cuyamaca Coyotes 59-56.
It was only the second win in 21 starts for the Olympians, who have lost close to half of their games by less than 10 points.
Cuyamaca coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI did not offer any excuses for the loss that knocked his Coyotes (11-12, 8-3) two games behind first-place Southwestern (15-9, 10-1) and one notch back of second-place San Diego City (14-9, 9-2). Three games remain in the regular season.
Playing without 6-foot-6, 245-pound CHRIS HUIE, who averages 8.5 rebounds per game, the Coyotes were thumped soundly on the boards by the Olympians, 34-16. Huie watched the proceedings from the sidelines with an ankle injury.
Mesa had Cuyamaca pinned to the mat by 15 points with 15 minutes remaining. The Coyotes, however, scrambled back to take a 3-point advantage with 1:30 remaining.
Smelling a chance for an upset, the Olympians scored the last six points in the final minute.
Cuyamaca missed a pair of 3-point shots during that stretch, the last one coming with :05.5 seconds remaining.
RONNIE SIMPSON paced the Coyotes with 18 points and 6 rebounds. NATE REED chipped in 13 points, hitting 5 of 11 shots including a trio of 3-pointers. MARLON PIERCE added 12 points, 5 assists and 3 steals, while ERIK JOHNSON tossed in a dozen points and blocked 3 shots
The Coyotes hope to keep their playoff hopes alive when they host MiraCosta on Saturday (Feb. 12) at 7 p.m.
(02-09-05)
MVP candidate Simpson, freshman Pierce team up get CC out of 'Dodge' with win
EastCountySports.com
IMPERIAL There should be no doubt who is worthy of the Pacific Coast Conference Most Valuable Player award. In case you haven't been paying attention, the winner of the PCC's top honor should go to Cuyamaca College sophomore RONNIE SIMPSON.
Simpson, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound sophomore out of Serra High, sank 8 of 19 shots from the field and 9 of 14 free throws for a game-high 27 points. He began the week with a conference leading 19.1 scoring average and a 6.8 rebounding average.
In the Coyotes latest game Saturday (Feb. 6) at Imperial Valley, it was an adventure that could have been called the "Great Escape." Cuyamaca managed to leave town with a 73-70 win, which kept the Coyotes one game behind PCC co-leaders Southwestern and San Diego CC with four games remaining.
Freshman MARLON PIERCE popped in 8 of 12 shots from the field en route to a 19-point effort. The Helix High graduate chipped in 4 assists and 5 rebounds.
Freshman NATE REED added 8 points for the Coyotes.
The Coyotes play at San Diego Mesa on Wednesday (Feb. 5) at 5 p.m.
(02-05-05)
Standings shakeup doesn't favor winning
Coyotes
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - It was a bittersweet Wednesday night (Feb. 2) for
the Cuyamaca Coyotes, one of three serious contenders for the
Pacific Coast Conference championship. On the court, the Coyotes
dispatched visiting Palomar 72-63 for their 7th win in 9 conference
starts. Prior to Wednesday's tip-off, however, the Comets learned
off some forfeits that would have an immediate impact on the
PCC race.
Grossmont College, Cuyamaca's district rival, was forced to forfeit
six victories due to questions surrounding a player's eligibility.
Only one of those forfeits means anything to coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI
and his Coyotes. Ironically, it was the first game of the conference
season. Grossmont smacked Southwestern 75-62 on that evening,
but the outcome has since been reversed by the blanket of forfeits.
Thus, Southwestern (13-9, 8-1) moves into a tie with San Diego
City College (13-8, 8-1) for the conference lead, while Cuyamaca
(10-11 overall) tumbles from a second-place tie with the Jaguars
into third place. The Coyotes still have one game remaining against
Southwestern, but do not face SDCC again.
Only the top two finishers from the PCC will advance to the Southern
California Regional playoffs. For the 3rd straight season, the
state finals will be held at Jenny Craig Pavilion on the University
of San Diego campus in March.
Meanwhile, the Coyotes' "go-to-guy" RONNIE SIMPSON
delivered a game-high 26 points to carry Cuyamaca past Palomar.
He connected on 8 of 15 shots, three of them from above the arc.
He also swished 7 of 8 free throws, as he continued to prove
his worthiness as the top candidate for PCC Player of the Year.
"Ronnie seems to play better every game," Wojtkowski
said.
Freshman MARLON PIERCE continues to improve. The Helix High product
drilled in 19 points on 9-for-19 shooting. He also handed out
5 assists and made 2 steals.
"Pierce is playing very consistent, like having a coach
on the floor," Wojtkowski said. "He had another solid
game."
Chris Nickolei's 17 points and 8 rebounds led the visiting Comets
(5-14, 4-5).
Next up for Cuyamaca is a road trip to Imperial Valley on Saturday
(Feb. 5) at 7 p.m.
Cuyamaca scoring: Ronnie Simpson 26, Marlon Pierce 19, John Knights
14, Chris Huie 7 (9 rebounds), Erik Johnson 6.
(02-02-05)
Coyotes need help after missing
near-miracle shot
EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO -- Three days after rejecting a buzzer-beating shot
to record a last-second victory, the role was reversed for Cuyamaca
College, which needed not only a 3-point shot, but a foul as
well for a rare 4-point play to extend Saturday's (Jan. 29) first-place
showdown with San Diego City College.
And the Coyotes nearly got it.
MATT PATIENCE, who was thrust into the line-up when starting
guard JOHN KNIGHTS came down with the flu, launched a 3-ball
from the corner with two seconds remaining in overtime. But when
the whistle blew for a foul, the raucous crowd at San Diego High
School suddenly held its collective breathe.
The ball hit the front of the rim, carried over the basket and
bounced off the back side of the hoop and continued long, making
Patience's three missed foul shots a moot point in the Knights'
64-60 conquest to retain their share of first place.
The loss normally should have sent Cuyamaca (10-10, 6-2) into
a second-place tie with Southwestern (11-10, 6-2), one game behind
the Knights.
The Coyotes let a 9-point lead disappear over the final 8:40
of regulation play.
"They made more plays than we did at the end of the game,"
said Cuyamaca coach ROB WOTJKOWSKI. "It's as simple as that."
MARLON PIERCE (Helix) carried the visitors for the first 30 minutes,
scoring a game-high 26 points while adding four assists. Included
was a perfect dribble-drive through the paint, feeding the ball
to center CHRIS HUIE for a slam dunk and a 45-36 advantage.
However, the Coyotes allowed several opportunities to slip past
them, including a meager 2-for-8 effort from the foul line to
close the second half. Those misfirings allowed a 49-44 lead
with 54 seconds to slip away after SDCC reserve forward Tommy
Arnold sank a baseline jumper with 0:05 left to tie the game
at 51, forcing overtime.
Both teams played without their leading scorers in the extra
time, as Coyotes forward RONNIE SIMPSON (17 points) and Knights
center Radee Tutler (19 points) both fouled out in the final
20 seconds of regulation play.
SDCC then played a near-perfect overtime, sinking all six foul
shots and not committing a turnover, while the Coyotes turned
the ball over three times and extended their poor foul-shooting
stretch by missing five of 10 shots. They closed the ballgame
making just 7-of-18 from the line.
"Sure we lost our best player, and had one starter who was
sick and another playing hurt, but (the Knights) made the big
shots," added the coach. "It was a good game; I'm just
disappointed with the loss. We came so close."
Tutler, who dominated inside with 13 rebounds, was well defended
all contest, as Huie always received assistance from his teammates.
And when Pierce caught fire with his jump shot or penetrating
inside, he sank five consecutive shots to give Cuyamaca a 24-21
halftime lead. Pierce also scored eight of the team's nine points
in overtime.
Cuyamaca scoring: Marlon Pierce 26, Ronnie Simpson 17, Matt Patience
8, Chris Huie 7 (13 rebounds), Pur Lam 1, Nate Reed 1.
(01-29
Coyotes reject final Grossmont
effort
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON -- Falling behind in the Pacific Coast Conference race,
Grossmont College was looking for just one opportunity to stay
with the pack and salvage its season on Wednesday night (Jan.
26). After being outplayed in almost every area, the Griffins
finally got that opportunity and the visiting Coyotes of Cuyamaca
quickly rejected it.
Despite a huge disparity on the boards, Grossmont rallied from
an 11-point deficit to attempt a 3-ball to force overtime at
the end of regulation. But Cuyamaca reserve guard MICHAEL OKENWA
blocked the 23-footer to preserve the Coyotes' 62-59 decision
over their district rivals.
Cuyamaca (9-10, 6-1) retains its share of first place in the
PCC, but the three-way tie was trimmed to two after San Diego
City topped Southwestern, 85-73. Elsewhere, Palomar won the battle
for North County supremacy after nipping MiraCosta, 75-70; and
Imperial Valley vanquished Mesa back to the cellar, 92-68.
The PCC's scoring leader RONNIE SIMPSON paced the Coyotes with
19 points, and was one of three players to reach double figures
in rebounds with 11. Cuyamaca dominated the boards, especially
in the 1st half when they posted an astounding 26-6 advantage.
However, 10 extra Cuyamaca turnovers kept Grossmont in the ballgame.
On the final series, with the shot clock seven seconds ahead
of the game clock, Grossmont elected not to foul despite trailing,
61-59. The Coyotes missed their shot, but Simpson grabbed the
rebound, one of 22 offensive boards allowed by the Griffins.
"We did a great job on the boards," agreed Cuyamaca
coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI. "We out-rebounded them 52-20. That
and we played great defense."
Simpson was fouled with 3.7 seconds remaining. He missed the
first and made the second, leaving Grossmont a chance to extend
the game. Griffins guard GERRED LINK dribbled past one defender,
but with two other Coyotes around him and the clock about to
expire, his long 3-pointer was swatted out of bounds by Okenwa.
ERIK JOHNSON added 16 points and a game-high 13 boards for Cuyamaca,
but when he failed to score over the final 13 minutes and the
team tossing the ball away 13 times in the second half, Grossmont
fought back.
Included in the late stretch drive was a 3-ball by ANTHONY JAVEY,
four consecutive foul shots by TAREY DILLARD, and a MIKE USHER
drive into the paint for a 5-footer to cut the lead to two with
42.6 seconds left.
Center MICHAEL FITZHUGH paced Grossmont (6-12, 3-4) with 18 points,
while Javey scored 12 before fouling out with 1:01 remaining.
MARLON PIERCE, a product of Helix High, was also a force for
Cuyamaca with 14 points and 4 steals.
On Saturday (Jan. 29), Cuyamaca faces San Diego City at San Diego
High in a battle of frontrunners at 7 p.m.
Grossmont travels to Southwestern on Saturday to begin the second
run of the PCC action with a 7 p.m. tipoff.
Cuyamaca scoring: Ronnie Simpson 19, Erik Johnson 16, Marlon
Pierce 14, Chris Huie 9, Pur Lam 2, Nate Reed 2.
Grossmont scoring: Michael Fitzhugh 18, Anthony Javey 12, Willie
Bailey 8, Tarey Dillard 6, Mike Usher 5, Greg Brown 4, Kevin
Morgan 2, Troy Valencia 2, Gerred Link 2.
Jaguars upset Coyotes to forge
3-way tie
EastCountySports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO -- Gaining the opportunity to shoot four foul
shots which would tie the game, the only shooting Cuyamaca College
could muster was those aimed at the foot. And with it, a chance
to take a strangle-hold of the Pacific Coast Conference lead
also went by the wayside.
The Coyotes, trailing 73-69 with 1:30 remaining, not only missed
three of their foul shots, Southwestern answered by making six
straight free throws down the stretch, securing a share of the
PCC lead following its 85-73 triumph.
Cuyamaca and Southwestern are now joined by San Diego City at
the top of the standings with 5-1 marks, as the conference slate
reaches the midway point on Wednesday.
"We've been shooting well the last few weeks to get into
first place," said Coyotes guard MARLON PIERCE. "But
this was just one of those games when we couldn't shoot well."
The second half was especially grievous (13-for-34, 37 percent)
when compared to the Jaguars, which finished as a sizzling 68
percent (15-for-22) to overcome a 6-point, first-half deficit.
Included were a trio of 3-balls without a miss by Kharey Wood,
who scored 15 of his team-high 24 points in the second half.
"We got real tired of running in practice when we miss our
foul shots," said Wood, a Brooklyn, N.Y., native, who also
made his final eight foul shots. "We didn't want to run
anymore."
Coyotes forward RONNIE SIMPSON scored a game-best, season-high
33 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Included were 21 in the
second half, but his teammates added just 18 additional points,
as the Coyotes lead slowly diminished.
Southwestern was poised to celebrate early after taking a 73-62
lead with 2:29 left, but Cuyamaca answered with three quick baskets,
the later two coming on Southwestern turnovers in the backcourt,
including a 3-ball by NATE REED.
And when ERIK JOHNSON got fouled off yet another turnover,
the foul shot total doubled when a Jaguars player received a
technical foul in protest. However, the instant momentum swing
quickly halted when only one free throw was made instead of all
four, which would have tied the ballgame.
Wood then fed Keith Smith for a layin on the press break, starting
a 12-3 run to close it out.
Coyotes center CHRIS HUIE collected 14 points and eight
boards, but missed a chunk of the first half after taking an
elbow off the cheek bone. However, moments after his injury,
Southwestern lost guard Sean Gullett to an ankle injury which
required paramedics to be called in, although team officials
stated the ankle was not broken.
Cuyamaca scoring: Ronnie Simpson 33, Chris Huie 14, Marlon Pierce
14, Erik Johnson 5, John Knights 5, Michael Okenwa 2.
(01-22-05)
Simpson helps Coyotes surge to another
victory
EastCountySports.com
OCEANSIDE - Cuyamaca's push toward a Pacific Coast Conference
championship continues. The Coyotes put another notch in their
victory belt Wednesday night (Jan. 19) as they dunked host MiraCosta
64-57.
Sophomore RONNIE SIMPSON, the PCC's leading scorer and arguably
the circuit's top player, turned in one of his most impressive
performances to date. The 6-foot-4 sophomore out of Serra High,
drilled in 25 points and snared 11 rebounds as Cuyamaca maintained
its hold on the conference lead at 5-0.
"He's our best player," Coyotes coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI
emphasized. "He can score inside, has a good jumper and
can take the ball to the hole."
Simpson swished 10 of 16 shots from the field, including 3-of-6
from above the arc.
ERIK JOHNSON, a freshman from Patrick Henry High, clicked on
6 of 13 shots from the field and hauled down 7 rebounds.
JOHN KNIGHTS chipped in with 11 points, while MARLON PIERCE added
10 points and 5 assists. CHRIS HUIE produced a pair of 8s --
as in points and rebounds. He also blocked 2 shots.
MICHAEL OKENWA came off the bench to deliver 4 assists
and reserve PUR LAM added 2 more scoring passes in limited court
time.
"We are getting strong play from our bench," Wojtkowski
said. "One of the keys to our success has been the play
of our second team. They really push our starters in practice."
Next up for the Coyotes is a 5 p.m. home game against second-place
Southwestern on Saturday (Jan. 22).
(01-19-05)
Coyotes say good night to Mesa, moved to
4-0 in conference
EastCountySports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO - Cuyamaca coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI isn't
ready to order any championship trophies, plaques or patches
just yet, but he has to be pleased that his Coyotes are the leaders
of the Pacific Coast Conference pack. Cuyamaca didn't create
any tremors with Saturday's (Jan. 15) PCC nod of 72-67 over visiting
San Diego Mesa. But the triumph did keep the Coyotes (7-9 overall)
perfect against conference competition at 4-0.
"We were like bamboo," Wojtkowski said. "That
is we bent, but didn't break."
Cuyamaca sophomore JOHN "Good" KNIGHTS led a
balanced attack for the Coyotes, who had gnawed away at a 4-point
Mesa lead with 10 minutes remaining. Seven minutes later it was
"Mission Accomplished" as the Coyotes clawed in front
by six.
Knights, a 6-foot-2 sophomore out of Mt. Carmel High, played
arguably his finest college game, finishing with 18 points. That
includes 7-for-11 shooting from the field (4-for-7 from 3-point
range), 4 rebounds, 2 assists and a pair of steals.
Freshman guard MARLON PIERCE, a Helix High alum, contributed
16 points and 3 assists. Pierce had a solid shooting touch, spinning
in 5-of-8 from the field and 5-of-6 free throws. His totals included
one trey.
"Pierce was the penetrator for us," Wojtkowski said.
"He made things happen."
RONNIE SIMPSON and ERIK JOHNSON added a dozen points
apiece for the Coyotes. Simpson also grabbed a team-high 9 rebounds
and Johnson collected 7 caroms, as did CHRIS HUIE.
Next up for Cuyamaca is a trip to Oceanside on Wednesday (Jan.
19) where the Coyotes take on MiraCosta at 7 p.m.
Other Cuyamaca scoring: NATE REED 6, Huie 6.
(01-15-05)
Coyotes take sole possession of first after
running up early lead on Imperial Valley
EastCountySports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO -- The conference schedule is less than two
weeks old, but no one from Cuyamaca College was complaining about
the early returns. The Coyotes now possess the outright Pacific
Coast Conference lead through three contests, including Wednesday's
(Jan. 12) surprisingly easy 64-46 whipping of Imperial Valley.
RONNIE SIMPSON, the PCC's leading scorer, punched in 20 of his
game-high 26 points in the first half, helping Cuyamaca (6-9,
3-0) jump out to a quick 10-0 lead. The Coyotes eventually extended
a 30-17 halftime lead to as many as 21 points.
The victory, coupled with Grossmont's upset loss to previously
winless Mesa, snapped the deadlock among the district rivals
at the top of the standings.
"Simpson really helped us out in the first half," noted
head coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI about the sophomore from Serra High.
"He did a good job making the mid-range jump shot, and the
rest of the guys did a good job giving Ronnie the ball there."
The Coyotes easily slipped around the Arabs, running off screens
for an assortment of short jumpers from the paint or drives to
the basket.
Others benefiting in the execution of the offense included MARLON
PIERCE, who scored 14 points, while ERIK JOHNSON added 13 for
the hosts, keeping Imperial Valley at the bottom of the conference
standings.
"IVC is obviously under-manned," added Wojtkowski.
"But we still had some players come off the bench and do
a good job. PUR LAM did a good job playing defense, and even
though he didn't score much, he rebounded well, while NATE REED
ball-handled well and was patient running the offense."
Simpson wasn't just shooting the ball either. After hitting 8
of 13 shots in the 1st half, Simpson's first significant play
of the second half was a perfect pass to a wide-open Johnson,
who hit a 3-ball. Simpson, who registered four assists, followed
with a baseline jumper, then center CHRIS HUIE took a Pierce
feed for a layin and a 37-20 lead.
Imperial Valley made one small run to close within 37-27, as
Arabs scoring leader JOHN STURGILL, who prepped at Santana, nailed
a 3-ball to cap a 7-0 run. He again paced IVC with 18 points,
but was held scoreless in the first half when the Coyotes defense
clamped down, allowing just seven total baskets in the opening
20 minutes.
However, the Coyotes answered with a 22-11 run to build their
largest lead, when Johnson nailed 3-of-4 shots, including a pair
of 3-balls to finish patient rotations of the ball which both
cut into the shot clock and allowed IVC few transition opportunities.
Pierce, the PCC's assist leader, was on his game passing for
a game-high 6 assists against no turnovers, and also collecting
a pair of steals. JOHN KNIGHTS added five assists, Johnson passed
for three assists, while Cuyamaca committed a mere nine turnovers.
The Coyotes hope to avoid the upset bug, hosting Mesa at a special
5 p.m. tip-off on Saturday (Jan. 15).
Cuyamaca scoring -- Ronnie Simpson 26, Marlon Pierce 14, Erik
Johnson 13, Chris Huie 4, John Knights 4, Nate Reed 2, Pur Lam
1.
(1-12-05)
Cuyamaca rolls Palomar to remain tied atop
standings
EastCountySports.com
SAN MARCOS - RONNIE SIMPSON stuffed in 20 points to ignite a
balanced Cuyamaca attack Saturday (Jan. 8) as the Coyotes clubbed
host Palomar 74-56 in a Pacific Coast Conference contest. The
victory keeps the Coyotes tied with Grossmont for the PCC penthouse
at 2-0.
Simpson, who canned 8 of 14 shots from the floor - 2-for-2 from
three-point range - also netted two free throws and pulled down
13 rebounds for Cuyamaca (5-9).
ERIK JOHNSON dropped in 6 of 10 from the field on his way to
a 16-point night that included a pair of 3-balls. CHRIS HUIE
scored all of his 14 points on 7-for-9 shooting, while MARLON
PIERCE added 8 points and 8 assists. JOHN KNIGHTS also joined
the Cuyamaca double digits club with 11 points.
"Huie was a force in the post," Cuyamaca coach ROB
WOJTKOWSKI said. "He did a great job guarding their post."
As a team, Cuyamaca shot a crisp 57.4 percent (31 of 54). That
includes 7-for-15 accuracy from above the arc.
"We had good shot selection." Wojtkowski said.
The game was all but over in the first period as Cuyamaca cruised
to a 36-21 advantage.
"We played pretty good defense, especially in the post and
help side," Wojtkowski added.
Next up for Cuyamaca are home games against Imperial Valley (Wednesday,
Jan. 12 at 7:30 p.m.) and San Diego Mesa on Saturday (Jan. 15
at 5 p.m.).
(01-08-05)
Cuyamaca sticks with game plan to take
down City in second half
EastCountySports.com
RANCHO SAN DIEGO - The Cuyamaca Coyotes took command of the tempo
in Wednesday's (Jan. 5) Pacific Coast Conference opener against
visiting San Diego City College. Operating at a more deliberate
gait paid off in the form of a 61-48 come-from-behind victory
for the Coyotes (4-9, 1-0).
"They were the aggressors; we were just running our stuff,"
said Cuyamaca coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI. "This was also our best
defensive effort of the year."
Trailing 24-22 at the break, the Coyotes came on to take the
lead. Cuyamaca led by seven with five minutes remaining and pulled
away from there.
"I think every conference game is going to be a war,"
Wojtkowski said.
RONNIE SIMPSON nailed a game-high 25 points to pace the Coyotes,
who were coming off a 48-point loss to top-ranked Saddleback
a week earlier. Simpson sank 8 of 13 shots from the floor and
was 8-for-10 from the free throw line.
MARLON PIERCE popped in 15 points (5-for-5 FTs) and dished 6
assists for Cuyamaca, which travels to Palomar for its next conference
contest on Saturday (Jan. 8). Tipoff is 7 p.m.
(01-05-05)
Coyotes in wrong place at wrong time
East County Sports.com
SANTA ANA -- One day after the top-ranked community college basketball
team in the state suffered its first setback of the season, Saddleback
College was looking for immediate payback -- and Cuyamaca College
got in the way.
Saddleback sideswiped the Coyotes 83-35 in Tuesday's (Dec. 28)
consolation semifinals of the 28th annual Santa Ana College Holiday
Classic at historic Cook Gymnasium.
The Gauchos (11-1) turned up the heat, forcing 31 turnovers that
resulted in a long list of transition baskets. Saddleback shot
59 percent from the floor in the first half to build a 41-18
lead at intermission.
Dominique Ricks paced Saddleback (11-1) with 18 points and eight
rebounds.
Cuyamaca (3-9) got to the foul line only six times all day, then
failed to mount any sort of comeback by shooting just 28 percent
from the floor in the second half.
The Coyotes leading scorer was RONNIE SIMPSON, the team's lone
player in double figures with 12 points.
The setback eliminated Cuyamaca from the tournament. The Coyotes
next action will be their Pacific Coast Conference opener when
they host San Diego City, on Wed., Jan. 5, at 7 p.m.
(12-28-04)
Rusty Coyotes can't handle return against
Long Beach City
EastCountySports.com
SANTA ANA - After taking a 24-day break between games, Coach
ROB WOJTKOWSKI's Cuyamaca Coyotes took aim at a powerful Long
Beach City College crew in Monday's (Dec. 27) opening round of
the Santa Ana College Holiday Classic. The results were somewhat
predictable as the rusty Coyotes turned the ball over 25 times
in a 67-46 loss to the Vikings (10-5).
It was the 4th loss in five decisions for the Coyotes (3-8) and
things don't figure to get a whole lot better in Tuesday's (Dec.
28) elimination round. Saddleback, the No. 1-ranked team in the
state, will provide the opposition for Cuyamaca in a 3 p.m. game.
The Gauchos were dealt a stunning 85-61 loss by No. 4-ranked
Mount San Antonio in Mondayâ's 1st round of the tournament.
They figure to be going home early, and that can't be good news
for Cuyamaca.
MARLON PIERCE paced the Coyotes with 12 points, including 6-for-6
free throw shooting. The freshman guard out of Helix also
had 4 assists. RONNIE SIMPSON added 10 points for Cuyamaca.
Cuyamaca shot 39 percent from the field, but missed all 10 of
its 3-point tries. The Coyotes were off the mark from the free
throw line, too, netting just 10 of 18.
(12-27-04)
Coyotes will have time to reflect on 3-7
start
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI has to be pleased that his Cuyamaca
Coyotes have a 24-day break between games after dropping Friday's
(Dec. 3) non-conference contest to visiting Santa Ana College
67-53. It was the third loss in four starts for Cuyamaca (3-7).
"I doubt if there are many teams that have played as many
games as we have (10) this early in the season," Wojtkowski
said. "Playing so many games so early does have its drawbacks.
We need to have some practice time, which we will get now in
these next three weeks."
Santa Ana shot 50 percent (26-for-52) from the field and claimed
a 39-20 rebounding edge in downing the Coyotes Friday night.
"They were lights-out shooting," Wojtkowski said. "They
had us down 26 points with six minutes to go. To the credit of
our kids, though, we fought back and cut the margin to 10 with
2 minutes left."
That's as close as Cuyamaca would get.
RONNIE SIMPSON paced the Coyotes with 16 points, and freshman
guard NATE REED rolled in 13 markers. CHRIS HUIE tossed in 9
points, cleared 6 rebounds and blocked 3 shots. MARLON PIERCE
added 8 points and 5 assists.
Earlier, at the Citrus Tournament in Glendora (Nov. 26-28):.
Cuyamaca dropped two of three games in the Citrus Tournament,
falling to Los Angeles CC 54-41 in the opening round, knocking
off Chaffey 71-65 in the consolation semifinals before falling
to host Citrus 71-69 in the consolation championship game. RONNIE
SIMPSON slammed in 25 points and snared 11 rebounds in the loss
to Citrus, while freshman MARLON PIERCE popped in a career-high
24 points against the Owls.
(12-04-04)
--
Slow start spells loss for Coyotes against
Irvine Valley
EastCountySports.com
IRVINE - RONNIE SIMPSON scored 22 points as Cuyamaca College
dropped a 56-48 loss to host Irvine Valley in Saturday's consolation
finals of the Irvine Valley Tournament.
IVC raced to a 32-14 halftime lead and never looked back.
(11-12-04)
Coyotes fall short against Long Beach City
EastCountySports.com
IRVINE - After falling behind early in the first half, the Cuyamaca
College Coyotes scrambled back to make a game of it in the second
half of Friday's (Nov. 19) Irvine Valley College Tournament contest
against Long Beach City College.
But the Coyotes' rally stalled and the Vikings prevailed 68-62.
The loss left Cuyamaca with a 2-3 season record and a berth in
the consolation finals opposite host Irvine Valley Saturday at
2 p.m.
Sure-handed RONNIE SIMPSON paced Cuyamaca (2-3) with 19 points,
6 rebounds and 3 assists. CHRIS HUIE banked in 7 of 11 shots
from the field for 15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
MARLON PIERCE and JOHN KNIGHTS added10 points apiece for the
Coyotes, who will take on host Irvine Valley in the final day
of this tournament.
(11-19-04)
Coyotes need overtime to beat winless Riverside
EastCountySports.com
IRVINE - RONNIE SIMPSON scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds
as visiting Cuyamaca College edged (0-3) Riverside 56-55 in overtime
in Thursday's (Nov. 18) opening round of the Irvine Valley Classic.
Simpson was deadly from the free throw line where he converted
11 of 13 free throws for the Coyotes (2-2) who take on Long Beach
City in Friday's (Nov. 19) tournament semifinals at 6 p.m. A
victory in that one sends the Coyotes into Saturday's championship
game against the winner of the Irvine Valley-Mt. San Jacinto
game.
MARLON PIERCE (10 points, 3 assists and 5 steals), JOHN KNIGHTS
(10 points, 4 steals) and CHRIS HUIE (13 rebounds, 6 blocks and
8n points) led Simpson's supporting cast.
The Coyotes led 25-20 at halftime but couldn't hang onto that
lead as they continued into overtime. All nine of Cuyamaca's
overtime points came from the free throw line where the Coyotes
netted 9 of 11 chances.
(11-18-04)
Arabs cash in on Coyotes' foul problems
in Tip-Off championship
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON -- The need to keep Cuyamaca College center CHRIS
HUIE on the court never became more apparent then during Saturday's
(Nov. 13) final of the Cuyamaca Tip-Off Tournament.
Moments after teammate MARLON PIERCE nailed a foul shot to knot
Imperial Valley at 60-all with 3:31 remaining, Huie was called
for pushing and his fifth foul of the game.
"We need to keep Chris on the court if we're going to win,"
noted Coyotes coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI said. "Without him out
there, we're a completely different team"
With the Coyotes forced to battle without their 6-foot-6 presence
in the paint, the Arabs immediately cashed-in by going on a 9-0
scoring run, defeating Cuyamaca, 72-68, to take the championship
in an early showdown between Pacific Coast Conference rivals.
Brandon Burgess keyed the late run by with drives to the basket,
making 3-of-4 foul shots after getting fouled each time. Bobby
McGee, an all-tournament selection, also moved inside the Coyotes
defense, sinking a 5-footer from the paint moments after Cuyamaca
lost another frontline player - forward Richard Bender - to fouls.
McGee finished with 17 points, while tournament MVP T.J. Johnson
collected a team-high 21 for the Arabs (2-0).
"Our defense did a great job today, with a lot of intensity
on the boards," noted Cuyamaca guard MARLON PIERCE, who
joined Huie among the all-tournament selections. "But we
couldn't get the ball after Chris fouled out."
The Arabs led at intermission, 30-29, but Cuyamaca's JOHN KNIGHTS
sparked the Coyotoes to a 46-38 lead with 11:56 remaining, scoring
four points from the line on strong drives to the hoop. However,
Johnson answered with a pair of 3-balls, part of his 15 points
in the second half to spark the IVC rally.
Cuyamaca (1-2) received a game-high 22 points from RONNIE SIMPSON
before also fouling out in the final seconds.
Next up for the Coyotes is the Irvine Valley Tournament. Cuyamaca
takes on Riverside CC in Thursday's (Nov. 18) first round at
1 p.m.
NOTES - IVC's roster includes Hawai'i native SHANE CHASE, who
played one season at Santana High... Barstow College rallied
from a 41-30 halftime deficit to whip Golden West, 87-76, in
the third place contest.
(11-13-04)
Pierce pops in the points as Coyotes get
OT win over Golden West
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Freshman guard MARLON PIERCE popped in 21 points and
dished off four assists Friday night (Nov. 12) to help hoist
host Cuyamaca College past Golden West 64-63 in overtime. The
Coyotes (1-1) will host Imperial Valley in Saturday's 1 p.m.
finals of the Cuyamaca Tip-off Tournament.
Imperial Valley advanced by bouncing Barstow 67-54 in Friday's
first round.
Pierce, a product of Helix High, sank 7 of 13 shots from the
floor, including one 3-pointer. He was 6 for 10 from the free
throw line.
RONNIE SIMPSON tossed in 10 points and CHRIS HUIE hauled down
17 rebounds for Cuyamaca.
(11-12-04)
Coyotes drop opener; Cuyamaca Tip-Off starts Friday
EastCountySports.com
IRVINE - The Coyotes of Cuyamaca College began their seventh
intercollegiate season on a sour note Monday night (Nov. 8),
falling to the host Lasers of Irvine Valley College, 67-53.
"They beat us in transition and from the post," said
Cuyamaca coach ROB WOJTOWSKI, who returns two players from last
year's 10-15 team that just missed qualifying for the SoCal playoffs
after finishing third in the Pacific Coast Conference.
Cuyamaca trailed only 11-9 with 14:21 remaining in the first
half, but fell out of contention when the Lasers streaked to
a 10-0 run over the next six minutes to take control. Three of
the IVC hoops came off fast breaks, which was a trend for the
Lasers much of the night.
The Lasers led 33-17 after one half. Cuyamaca never got closer
than 11 points in the final 20 minutes.
RONNIE SIMPSON, a returning all-conference second team pick,
led Cuyamaca with 17 points despite a shaky 4-for-15 shooting
night from the floor. RICHARD BENDER added 10 points and freshman
MARLON PIERCE (Helix) added 6 points, 7 assists and a pair of
steals.
CHRIS HUIE had a team-best 7 rebounds for the Coyotes, while
JOHN KNIGHTS added 9 points and El Cajon Valley grad NATE REED
netted 2 points.
Next up for the Coyotes is the Cuyamaca Tip-Off Tournament Friday
and Saturday. In Friday's (Nov. 21) opening round, Imperial Valley
battles Barstow at 5 p.m. before Cuyamaca takes on Golden West
in the nightcap at 7 p.m.
(11-08-04)