College Basketball : Moorpark Unravels in Last Minute

Kings River used an effective inside game to defeat Moorpark, 45-43, in the opening round of the Holiday tournament Thursday at Cuesta College.

Moorpark (6-3) committed 2 turnovers and Steve Murphy missed 2 free throws in the final minute of the game as the Raiders fell into the consolation bracket. Moorpark plays Canyons, an 87-82 loser to MiraCosta, at 3 today.

Isaac Austin, a 6-foot-10, 250-pound sophomore center, scored 14 points--11 in the second half--and grabbed 8 rebounds to lead Kings River.

“I don’t know if he was the whole ticket, but he was very tough to stop,” Moorpark Coach Al Nordquist said of Austin.

Moorpark led at halftime, 24-22, but Kings River scored 7 unanswered points to open the second half and assumed a lead it never relinquished.

Roger Thomas led Moorpark with 11 points and Murphy added 10.

In another Cuesta tournament game:

MiraCosta 87, Canyons 82--MiraCosta made 7 of 8 free throws in the final 2 minutes and held off a late Canyons rally in a first-round game.

Canyons (5-5), trailing, 80-76, missed the front end of 3 consecutive 1-and-1 free-throw opportunities and was unable to catch MiraCosta down the stretch.

Keith Randolph led MiraCosta with 21 points. Aaron Clark scored 25 points to lead Canyons and Larry Allbritton added 21.