Vaqueros Not Half Bad in 88-55 Rout of Victor Valley

One of these days, the Glendale College men’s basketball team will weave together two good halves. When that happens, Coach Brian Beauchemin says, look out.

After getting caught in a tight game with outmatched Victor Valley for the first 20 minutes Wednesday night, the Vaqueros shifted into high gear in the second half for an 88-55 victory in the first round of the Glendale tournament.

“We have done that time and again,” Beauchemin said of the erratic first half. “I burned a little behind [at halftime].

“That has been our pattern with the exception of a couple of games.”

Glendale (8-3) quickly extended a 37-32 halftime advantage, pounding the Rams (2-9) on the boards and repeatedly penetrating for numerous layups or close-range shots.

The Vaqueros held Victor Valley scoreless for four minutes midway through the second half during a 12-0 run that gave them a 54-40 lead, and later for a 6:14 span during which they scored 15 points that increased the lead to 82-48.

“We kind of took them for granted [in the first half],” guard Tony Hoggatts said. “When we pick it up, man, we can go.”

Hoggatts had it going in the first half, scoring all of his 12 points.

Sophomore forwards Chris Moreland and Steve Eernisse each scored 17 points and guard Denny Ogden had 16 for Glendale.

Moreland had 12 rebounds and Hoggatts, an All-Western State Conference selection last season, had 10 assists.

Ogden made four of 10 three-point shots.

The Vaqueros outrebounded Victor Valley, 56-30.

In another game at the Glendale tournament:

Citrus 69, Moorpark 66--The Raiders put on a furious rally in the final minutes but fell short when Stanley Fletcher’s three-point shot bounced off the front of the rim with three seconds to play.

Moorpark’s seventh consecutive loss prompted Coach Remy McCarthy to send a long and stern message to his players.

“I told the guys, in all honesty, we can’t afford to get ourselves in that position,” McCarthy said.

“If we aren’t playing every possession as if they’re critical, the results are going to be what you saw tonight.”

Moorpark (4-7) trailed, 34-21, at halftime, but pulled to within 62-58 with 1:06 remaining on a running bank shot and free throw by Alan Case.

Citrus (5-7) increased the lead to 66-60 on two free throws by Travis Drake with 51 seconds left before Case stole a pass and scored on a layup to cut the deficit to 67-66 with 10 seconds left.

Drake sank two free throws one second later to give Citrus a 69-66 advantage.

Case, a 6-foot-4 freshman forward from South Lake Tahoe, scored 16 points for Moorpark. Justin Beach and Fletcher each finished with 11 points.

Jon Wilburn scored 19 points, 11 in the first half, for Citrus.