Valley Gives Canyons a Fight Before Losing

College of the Canyons beat Valley, 77-72, but not before the Monarchs made the defending Mountain Valley Conference champions earn it Friday night.

Canyons, which was the favorite, got a scare on the floor as Valley chipped away at a 13-point deficit early in the second half, outscoring the Cougars, 17-7. Aided by some smooth shooting by sophomore Fred Lewis and freshman John Windham, Valley tied the score at 71 with only three minutes left.

Valley was unable to answer Canyons baskets by Vincent Ray, Ron Stapp and James Mixon, however, and the Cougars slipped away to win the conference opener for both teams.

“We never let them get the lead,” Canyons Coach Lee Smelser said. “We hit that flat spot at 60, though, and I thought the lights would go out before we get to 62, but we maintained our composure.”

The Cougars (11-7) can thank Ray for helping them keep their wits about them. Ray, the second-leading scorer in the MVC, scored a game-high 27 points--11 in the second half. Mixon, the MVC third-leading scorer, managed only 10 points.

“James didn’t have a good night shooting,” Smelser said. “It’s almost a rarity when he doesn’t shoot fifty percent. When he doesn’t, we get big lumps in our throats.”

The lumps turned to laughs, however, when, after it had done a superb job of coming from behind, Valley couldn’t find what it took--like stopping Ron Stapp from scoring 21 points--to overcome the Cougars.

“We must improve,” said Valley Coach Virgil Watson. “If we’re good enough to lose by five points to them, then, we’re not that good.”

Each of Valley’s five starters scored in double figures, including guard Gary Goodrich, who scored a team-high 14. Goodrich, a freshman from South Pasadena High, scored all of his points from the outside.

“That’s what we’ve been expecting from Gary,” Watson said. “We knew he was a good shooter all along. Now, he’s doing it.”

CANYONS--Ray 27; Stapp 21; Mixon 10; Aitken 6; Hines 5; Honaker 4; Hughes 4.

VALLEY--Goodrich 14; Lewis 13; Windham 12; Lopez 10; Harden 10; Andrews 4; Shane 4; Wright 2; Fontenette 2.