Canyons Picks Up the Pace to Run Away From Valley

Virgil Watson believes his Valley College basketball team could accomplish much this season if allowed to play at its own deliberate pace. Unfortunately for Watson, College of the Canyons would allow no such thing Saturday night, luring the Monarchs into a running game and then running them into the ground, 102-77.

“We had too many turnovers,” Watson said. “They didn’t force all of them. We just gave them the ball. We ran at their speed instead of ours.

Both Valley and Canyons played sloppily at the outset of the nonconference game. Valley had 12 turnovers in the first half and Canyons gave the ball away nine times.

The bright spot for Valley early in the game was the shooting of Ron Patterson, who scored the team’s first eight points. But when Patterson went to the bench for a rest midway through the first half, Canyons streaked away to a 47-38 halftime lead.

Canyons’ Kevin Honaker opened the second half with a break-away layup, starting the Cougars on a 24-13 surge that put the game away.

Despite the lopsided win, Canyons center Mitch McMullen said the Cougars did not find their rhythm until late in the game.

“I think everybody was a little tight,” McMullen said. “We didn’t really start playing until midway through the second half. I was trying to rush it too much. There wasn’t that much pressure from Valley. I just created it with my own head.”

McMullen scored 14 points before fouling out with 5:40 left. Teammate Anthony Hines also fouled out, with 6:34 remaining.

With both teams in foul trouble early, the tone of the game was set. Valley finished with 23 fouls while a very physical Canyons team committed 33 fouls.

“We’ve had some trouble with that,” Canyons Coach Lee Smelser said. “We’ve been giving the ball up too easily. We haven’t been able to get any space between us and the other teams. We’ve been keeping them in the ballgame.”

In in the first half, Valley was very much in the ballgame.

Valley’s Mike Hobbs tied the score, 19-19, with 10:31 left in the first half. The score was tied again at 32-32 before Canyons’ Butch Mettinger hit a three-point basket to give the Cougars a lead they never relinquished.

Late in the second half, Canyons attempted and missed several three-point shots. Canyons’ Darrin Moloznik scored the game’s first three-point basket. He finished with 14 points.

Smelser said he likes the new three-point shot rule and hopes to make it an important part of his team’s offense.

“We’ve been having a little trouble with our judgment,” Smelser said. “But, we’re not going to shy away from that. I already know we can go inside with anybody.”

MEN

Pasadena 91, Moorpark 89--Despite the 19- and 17-point performances of freshman Tommy Neumayr and sophomore Chad Staples, Moorpark was eliminated from the Saddleback tournament.

Moorpark teammates Andy Jercha and Joe Pugh added 11 points each. The loss was Moorpark’s second straight in the tournament. The Raiders lost to Saddleback, 73-57, on Friday.

WOMEN

Moorpark 78, Chaffey 37--With former Royal High standouts Karina Hardman, Debra Rabin and Carol Kellick leading the way, Moorpark scored 51 second-half points en route to an easy nonconference victory at Moorpark.

Moorpark (2-3) led, 27-22, at halftime after turning the ball over 11 times in the first half. The Raiders committed only one turnover in the second half and took command.

Hardman, a freshman forward, scored a game-high 19 points with eight rebounds, and Rabin scored 17 points. Kellick scored only two points, but had a game-high 12 rebounds.