BOYS’ BASKETBALL/ HART TOURNAMENT : Simi Valley Turns Back Faith Baptist

Too bad Simi Valley High didn’t let Faith Baptist come all the way back Saturday in the opening round of the Hart boys’ basketball tournament. The Pioneers really would have learned a lesson.

As things stand, Coach Dean Bradshaw can consider the Pioneers’ 63-61 win a learning experience after Simi Valley (8-2) nearly squandered a 15-point third-quarter lead in a game that began at 9 a.m. in a chilly and sparsely populated gym.

“Believe it or not, there are some positive things about how this came out,” Bradshaw said. “We just told the guys now: ‘You’re glad to get the win and you’re glad to be under these conditions before going into league play.’

“Every game we’ve played, we’ve either blown people out or been blown out. You have to give Faith Baptist credit. They came back at the end.”

Faith Baptist (6-3), last season’s Division V state finalist, almost came out ahead.

The Contenders made three charges to the basket in the final seconds in an attempt to tie the score but came up empty.

With his team trailing, 63-57, with less than three minutes to play, junior forward Matt Cooper scored inside off rebounds on back-to-back possessions to set the stage for a nail-biting finish.

In the final 20 seconds, Faith Baptist sophomore forward Tony Hoggatts, who scored a game-high 23 points, was whistled for charging.

With 12 seconds left, Simi Valley’s Jeremy Roberts stepped out of bounds in the back court under pressure by Leonard Colon and Jermiane Smith.

After a timeout, senior guard James DeCarriere missed a left-handed jump shot from the lane, then gathered the loose rebound in time to hurl an off-balance base-line jump shot at the buzzer. The ball hit the rim.

“We wanted to isolate James on that last play,” said Faith Baptist assistant Ron Colon, coaching in place of the vacationing Stuart Mason. “He got off a decent shot. I think he got fouled, but that’s how it goes. Our guys really showed some heart in the second half.”

The lead changed hands five times in the first quarter before most spectators had finished their first cup of coffee. Simi Valley built a 41-32 halftime lead.

The Pioneers appeared headed for a blowout after breakaway layups by Griffin and Jason Conmay highlighted a 6-0 run to begin the third quarter.

After three quarters, Simi Valley held a 55-46 lead.

With three minutes to play, Nathan Simmons made a pair of free throws to make the score 63-55 and close out the Pioneers’ scoring.

“We were a little cold when we got here, coming so early,” Ron Colon said. “But the kids get up early every day to go to school. That shouldn’t matter.”

Simi Valley totaled 11 steals--four by Craig Griffin.

Canyon 58, Fresno Central 40--Three Canyon players scored in double figures to lead the Cowboys (5-4) in a first-round game.

Sophomore Greg Minor (15 points) and juniors James Manning (12) and Pat Backes (10) paced Canyon, which led at halftime, 24-16.

Central (6-3) pulled to within 37-32, but Canyon pulled away with a 12-2 run.

Palmdale 49, Arroyo Grande 45--Senior forward Ty Gaines, who sat out last season, scored a team-high 17 points to lead the Falcons (7-2) in a first-round game.

Palmdale trailed, 33-31, after three quarters but regained the lead midway through the final quarter and held on.

Arroyo Grande fell to 4-5.