Community College Basketball Roundup : Santa Monica Stays Hot, Rolls Past Rancho Santiago

Santa Monica College completed an impressive roll through the Rancho Santiago College Holiday men’s basketball tournament with a 101-77 victory over Rancho Santiago in the championship game Friday.

The victory completed three games in which Santa Moncia outscored its opponents, 399-183, and improved its record to 15-3.

Rancho Santiago had played its best half of the season Thursday night, when the Dons rallied from a 9-point halftime deficit to defeat Long Beach, 83-72, in the semifinals.

But Santa Monica didn’t allow Rancho Santiago a chance to rally Friday.

Santa Monica, the second-ranked team in Southern California behind Cerritos, opened a 7-0 lead within 2 minutes.

Matt Lien, Rancho Santiago’s freshman center, scored on a short jumper for the Dons’ first basket at 17:30 to cut the lead to 7-2, but Santa Monica picked up the intensity on both the defensive and offensive ends from there.

Von Schuler, a sophomore guard, had 6 points as Santa Monica went on a 14-0 run to take a 21-2 lead with 13:50 left.

Rancho Santiago Coach Dana Pagett then called a timeout to regroup his team, but all it did was serve as a pause in Santa Moncia’s attack.

Santa Monica shot 60% (21 of 35) on mostly inside shots in the first half and led, 50-25, at the half.

Santa Monica kept the pace up in the second half.

Santa Monica took its biggest lead, 92-59, with 6 minutes left. Santa Monica shot 60% (41 of 68) for the game.

Keith Amerson scored 20 points for Santa Monica and was voted the most valuable player of the tournament. Schuler and Terry Clark scored 16 each for Santa Monica and also made the all-tournament team.

Chris Martin scored 20 points and Matt Lien 19 to lead Rancho Santiago (10-6). Martin and Tony Smalley, who led the comeback against Long Beach, were picked to the all-tournament team.

Smalley had three fouls in the first half Friday and then two quick ones in the second half and fouled out with 16:26 left. He finished with 4 points.

In the third-place game:

Long Beach 96, Saddleback 88--Sophomore forward Bradd Heckman scored a career-high 31 points on 13 of 15 shooting, but Saddleback’s rally fell short.

Long Beach led by as much as 22 points before Saddleback (7-9) started to rally in the final minutes. Saddleback cut it to 90-86 with 2 minutes left but couldn’t get closer.

Shawn Williams scored 24 to lead Long Beach (13-9). Williams was also voted to the all-tournament team.