Moorpark’s Depth Sinks Rio Hondo

Al Nordquist has picked up a few basketball axioms in his 20 years as coach at Moorpark College, one being that overconfidence can be as formidable as playing a team with an eight-foot center.

Luckily for Nordquist, Rio Hondo didn’t bring a giant into the consolation final of the Crown City Classic on Friday at Pasadena College. Nevertheless, Moorpark had beaten the Road Runners earlier in the season, and Nordquist sensed that his team was taking Rio Hondo a bit lightly in the middle of the first period of Moorpark’s 97-61 win.

“Players just can’t come out thinking that they’re going to walk on the court and are going to win,” Nordquist said.

So, with 12:53 left in the first half and Moorpark down, 15-9, Nordquist called a timeout and gave the Raiders a very vocal pep talk.

It worked. Andy Jercha sank two free throws and Chad Staples, who finished the game with 12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, scored two straight to bring the Raiders to within two. Freshman David Bussey scored on a fast-break pass from Geraud Moncure and Moorpark tied the game at 17.

After finding its groove, Moorpark stayed close, exchanging the lead with Rio Hondo (4-7) until the Raiders went on a spree as the half came to a close.

In the final three minutes of the half, Moorpark outscored Rio Hondo, 9-2. Guard Brent Tapia’s three-point jumper at the buzzer gave the Raiders a 39-35 lead.

Behind the accurate shooting of forward Tom Neumayr, who finished with a team-high 21 points, and the passing of freshman guard Todd Johnson, who had seven assists, Moorpark increased its lead in the second half. With superior depth, Moorpark was able to stifle Rio Hondo, which seldom brought any of its five starters off the floor.

On the other hand, Moorpark had five players score in double-figures. One bright spot for Moorpark this season is Bussey from Morningside High. He scored 15 points and had five assists by muscling his 6-3, 220-pound frame inside for the Raiders, who last season relied on the outside shooting of Danny Camp and Danny Berryman.

“If we had been able to have Berryman, Camp and Bussey, we’d probably be about 25% better,” Nordquist said.

But Nordquist isn’t taking anything away from this season’s team, which has already beaten highly regarded Ventura.

“We probably have more talent and more depth,” he said. That depth might take the Raiders into the state tournament where they ended their season last year.

Canyons 113, Mt. San Antonio 103--In the game for third place, Canyons’ 5-10 guard Kevin Honaker, feasting on the new three-point rule, scored 35 points to lead the Cougars.

Honaker also had 11 assists as Canyons improved its nonconference record to 10-5. Freshman guard Darren Moloznik, formerly of Canyon High, had 11 points and 18 assists for the Cougars, who outran and outshot Mt. San Antonio (6-5). Forward Ron Stapp and center Mitch McMullen each had 22 points, and McMullen had 16 rebounds.

Honaker, who last season played as a reserve, made 8 of 12 shots from three-point range.

For the losers, Cletus Jarmon had 34 points and James Jones had 27.