Edgar Melik-Stepanyan
For about 27 minutes, the Glendale Community College men's basketball
team hung with Antelope Valley College in the championship game of
the Vaquero Classic.
The Vaqueros moved the ball well and drained open looks, as they
exchanged the lead 16 times in a tight and physical contest.
But just when it seemed like GCC would retake the lead again, the
Falcons went on a short run that gave them all the cushion they
needed in a 99-82 victory Saturday at the Vaquero gym.
After GCC's Tyler Rose hit a running jumper to pull the Vaqueros
within one with 13 minutes remaining, Antelope Valley went on a 14-4
run in a three-minute stretch to open up a 75-64 lead.
Twelve of those points during the run came on three-pointers,
including a pair of long-range shots by Curtis McHenry. GCC (7-5)
never got closer than eight in the final eight minutes.
"We played 30 minutes, and we ran out of gas," Vaquero Coach Brian
Beauchemin said. "It was a hell of a 33-minute game."
The Vaqueros -- ranked 14th in Southern California in the
California Community College Men's Basketball Coaches Assn. poll --
were able to stay close because of their ability to match the
Falcons' intensity and shooting.
GCC shot 53.6% (15 of 28) from the field in the first half.
Vaquero freshman Jovan Jester hit five three-pointers in the first
half, and finished with a team-high 24 points.
But the Falcons (10-2) increased their defensive pressure in the
second half, and the Vaqueros didn't have as many open shots.
Antelope Valley -- ranked seventh in Southern California and 13th
in the state -- also used its height advantage inside, making the
Vaqueros respect its presence in the paint. That gave the Falcons
plenty of opportunities on the perimeter, as they finished with 14
three-pointers.
"They made everything they shot," Beauchemin said. "They are a
very good team."
No one was better than Antelope Valley's Wendell White.
The UNLV-bound White battled GCC's Durwin Williams all night, and
got the better of his counterpart. White finished with 28 points and
10 rebounds to earn the tournament's most valuable player honor.
Williams, who had 17 points and eight rebounds, was plagued by
foul trouble, as he sat out the final seven minutes of the first
half. Williams and teammate DeJournett Wyatt, who had nine points,
were all-tournament selections.
