Community College Basketball Roundup : Cerritos Tops OCC in Eaton Tournament

Guard Willie Joseph scored a three-point play with 15 seconds remaining Friday night to give Cerritos College a 61-60 win over Orange Coast in a fight-marred semifinal game of the Miles Eaton Tournament at OCC.

Cerritos will play Mt. San Antonio, the team it tied for the South Coast Conference title last year, for the title tonight at 8:30.

The score was tied, 58-58, when Joseph scored in the process of being fouled to give Cerritos a 60-58 lead. Before Joseph could attempt his free throw, the benches emptied as a fight broke out between Cerritos forward Russell Heicke and Joe Seager, the Pirates’ 6-foot 10-inch center.

When order was restored five minutes later, Joseph made the free throw, and it turned out to be a crucial one because Orange Coast’s Scott Clements scored a basket seconds later to cut the Falcons’ lead to 61-60.

Orange Coast’s Chuck McGavran stole the inbounds pass by Cerritos and passed to Jon Johnston, but the guard’s jump shot, which could have won the game for the Pirates, was partially blocked by Cerritos’ Tom Tolbert with two seconds left.

Joseph led all scorers with 18 points. Johnston and Clements led Orange Coast with 10 each.

CERRITOS (61)--Joseph 18, Wadlington 2, Hall 7, K. Andrews 9, Heicke 5, D. Andrews 4, Tolbert 8, Buell 8.

ORANGE COAST (60)--Mullet 8, Johnston 10, Clements 10, Bickett 8, Judd 7, Mulcahey 2, Kelly 8, Seager 7.

Halftime--Cerritos, 24-22.

In other Miles Eaton Tournament action:

Mt. San Antonio 73, Imperial Valley 70--Cletus Jarmon scored 22 points to lead the Mounties (4-0) past the Arabs (2-5) in a semifinal game.

Mt. San Jacinto 118, East Los Angeles 84--Cecil Rabb scored 20 points to lead the Eagles (4-1) over the Huskies (0-5) in a consolation semifinal game.

Los Angeles Southwest 73, Mira Costa 69--Bruce Chew scored 17 as the Cougars (8-2) beat the Spartans (1-3).

In Grossmont Tournament action:

Rancho Santiago 74, Grossmont 71--Mark Moses scored 23 points, 13 in the second half, as the Dons (5-0) remained undefeated by beating the tournament host Griffins (7-2) in a semifinal game.

RANCHO SANTIAGO (74)--Moses 23, Martin 14, Cole 11, Shurman 12, Thomas 8, Elliott 4, Quirit 2.

GROSSMONT (71)--Dedmon 2, Clestine 9, Morgan 18, Turner 6, Muldrow 17, Manning 13, Espinoza 6.

Halftime--Rancho Santiago, 39-30.

In Cypress Tournament action:

Cypress 56, Biola JV 33--Scott Swanner scored eight points to lead the Chargers (3-3) past the Biola JV team in a first-round game. Cypress will play Tacoma for the tournament title tonight at 8:30.

BIOLA JV (33)--Gishwiller 6, Ditzman 6, Mata 0, Larser 6, Connolly 8, Gunter 1, Watkins 6.

CYPRESS (56)--Martineau 4, Horn 7, Dobbs 6, Marusich 6, Livesay 7, Krivashei 1, Gerlach 2, Umans 7, Kirksey 2, Swanner 8, Kramer 6.

Halftime--Cypress, 27-18.

In nonconference action:

Fullerton 86, Pomona-Pitzer JV 77--Guard Stevie Snow scored 31 points to lead the Hornets (4-3) past the Pomona-Pitzer JV team at Fullerton.

POMONA-PITZER JV (77)--Arima 14, Crawford 4, Duque 25, Green 17, Hightower 15, Ross 2.

FULLERTON (86)--Snow 31, Buda 18, Hakeman 6, Mansfield 2, Lewis 6, Crowell 4, Fox 3, Myers 3, Moss 3, Fraser 8.

Halftime--Fullerton, 36-34.

In women’s community college action:

Fullerton 76, Porterville 61--Stacy Rooney, Sandy Cotton and Sharon Lyon each scored 12 points as the Hornets (6-1) in a second-round game of the College of the Sequoais Tournament.