No Call Is Right Call for SCC

Southern California College narrowly survived its first-round game in the Golden State Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournament, edging Point Loma Nazarene, 83-81, Wednesday in front of 1,024 at SCC.

Second-seeded SCC (20-11) advances to play No. 4 Westmont, a 76-59 winner over Biola, in the semifinals at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Whittier College. Top-seeded Azusa Pacific will play No. 6 Cal Baptist at 8 p.m. in the other semifinal. The winners will play Tuesday for the conference’s automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament in Tulsa.

The Vanguards’ victory wasn’t secure until the final second. Point Loma (14-17), working for the last shot, got the ball to Jason Mackenzie, who drove the lane. Mackenzie appeared to be jostled and fell to the floor. There was no call and SCC’s Mike Ruble picked up the loose ball and threw it downcourt as time expired.

“I didn’t trip by myself,” Mackenzie said. “But I guess I can’t expect them to call it at home in the last second.”

SCC Coach Bill Reynolds said he feared a foul in that situation, but said each team had questionable calls go its way. The Vanguards merely got the final one. “That’s the beauty of ‘The Pit,’ maybe,” Reynolds said.

SCC needed all the advantages of its tiny home gym. Seventh-seeded Point Loma led by 12 points in the first half, before SCC closed the margin to 51-47 at halftime.

SCC’s rally was helped by a four-point play--Kevin Carlson (22 points) was fouled making a three-pointer and made the foul shot--and a five-point play--as Carlson made another three-pointer, Mike Guevara was fouled away from the play and made two free throws.

SCC quickly pulled even in the second half, and when Point Loma suffered a nearly six-minute scoring drought, SCC moved to a 67-60 lead. Point Loma battled back, tying the score, 73-73, on a three-pointer by Robert Amo Amo (34 points) with 4 minutes 43 seconds left. On the next play, Ruble was fouled making an inside shot and made the free throw for a 76-73 lead.

In another first-round game:

Cal Baptist 98, Concordia 80--Rick Hurt had 29 points and 21 rebounds for sixth-seeded Cal Baptist (17-14), which knocked out the third-seeded Eagles (20-10) by outscoring Concordia, 54-39, in the second half.