COLLEGE BASKETBALL STATE JC TOURNAMENT : Long Beach, Rancho Santiago Win

Long Beach City College advanced to the state junior college championship game for the first time since 1976 by defeating Cypress, 84-56, Friday night in the semifinals at the Bren Center on the campus of UC Irvine.

The Vikings (31-4) take on defending state champion Rancho Santiago (34-2) in the final tonight at 7:30.

Rancho Santiago defeated Compton, 96-76, in the other semifinal.

Long Beach trailed, 48-47, with 16:01 left in the game, but allowed Cypress only one field goal the rest of the game. Long Beach outscored Cypress, 41-19, in the second half.

Long Beach played impressive defense, forcing 27 turnovers and holding Cypress to 21% (six of 29) shooting in the second half after the Chargers shot 53% (18 of 34) in the first half.

“When you play Cypress it is always a dogfight,” Long Beach Coach Gary Anderson said. “This time we just played super.”

Long Beach held forward Eric Pauley to 10 points, and only two in the second half. Pauley, who averages 22, scored 26 Thursday in the Chargers’ 74-61 victory over Columbia.

Derek Knowles led Long Beach with 17 points and Terry Nelson had 16.

Brain Kenney scored a game-high 23 for Cypress.

“It was just pressure from all angles,” Cypress Coach Don Johnson said. “It was not only up the floor but in the passing lanes and off the boards. Tonight anyway, we were an overmatched team.”

Long Beach defeated Compton to win its fourth state title in 1976.

Rancho Santiago had little trouble with Compton Friday night, despite the Tartars’ Steve Logan scoring 36 points. Logan made seven three-point baskets.

The Dons led, 54-34, at halftime and increased the lead to as many as 30, 75-45, midway in the second half.

Rancho Santiago got 20 points each from forwards Erik Martin and Corie Blount. Martin also had 17 rebounds.

Both sophomores have already signed to play at the University of Cincinnati next season.

Rancho Santiago led, 20-19, with 10:13 left when freshman forward Daryl Cole made a three pointer and freshman guard Glenn Greene followed with another to put the Dons ahead, 26-19, with 9:40 left.

Rancho Santiago made 10 of 14 three-point attempts. Greene and Brett Pagett had four each and Cole had two.

Pagett had 15 points and Greene and Cole 14 each.