SAN BERNADINO USES SECOND HALF TO KNOCK OFF LA VALLEY

By Matthew Robinson

The San Bernadino Valley College Wolverines women's basketball team, cleaned up their act in the second half en route to a 59-54 victory over the Los Angeles Valley College Lady Monarchs in the Championship Semifinal Round of the LAVC Buddy's All-Star Classic.

Wolverines Head Coach JASMANE CLARENDON on the sidelines during the game and in the team's locker room, implored her team to correct their mistakes which help give them the impetus to win this heavily contested battle.

Clarendon relayed post-game why the Wolverines (6-4 overall) were able to win this game. "We decided to actually wake up and play basketball, Clarendon said. "We have three things. Run, listen, and believe. They [Wolverines team] finally started to run, listen, and believe. We do that every day in practice, and once it started, it ignited a fire in us."

That fire she mentioned really ignited in the second half, as the Wolverines went on a 31-22 run after being down for much of the first half as far as the scoreboard was concerned.

As for the Monarchs (2-4), they were bereft of some key players tonight as well as a sense of urgency until late, late in the 4^th period.

Green and gold head coach MONICA HANG expressed her feelings about this game and the rights and wrongs of her own team. "Right is that they [Monarchs] compete, and they're willing to work hard to get better," Hang said. They're very young and they lack experience. [But] we as coaches have to keep teaching them, and them as students have to keep learning and applying what we teach them to execute."

As for the first period of this contest, the Monarchs had the lead for most of that period, in what was a spirited up and down the court display for both teams. But the caveat of the first period for both teams was that there wasn't a lot of scoring.

Moving on, the Wolverines got to within 24-15 when guard ASHLEY CARSON (led the Wolverines with 16 points) sunk a two-pointer from near the foul line and near the five-minute mark of the second period.

Forward SYDNEY GRAY (8 points and 6 rebounds) of the Wolverines, pulled them to within 24-21 when she got in the paint and hit a two-pointer amid traffic near the 3:15 mark of the second period.

Valley guard DIANA DUENAS (13 points, including 3 made three-pointers) executed a three pointer near the top-left corner of the foul-shot area. This instance took place near the 2:30 mark of the second period for a 27-21 lead for Valley.

One of the reasons why the Wolverines were in this game in the first half was because of foul shots that they made. Carson near the 20 second mark got the score to 32-28 with a layup in traffic.

The Monarchs led 32-28 at the halftime mark.

JAYSHEANA MARTINEZ-WILLIAMS (15 points) gave SBVC their first lead of the game at 34-32, when she sunk two foul shots at the 7:40 mark of the third period, due to a foul on her by Valley's DIAMOND O'CONNOR. 

In 1:07 minutes of elapsed time in the third period (7:40 to 6:33), Martinez-Williams (an under the basket score and two foul-shots) was the main reason why the Wolverines had a 38-34 lead at the 6:33 mark of the third period. That was their biggest lead of the night.

Monarch guard/forward ADAORA OBI (16 points including 6 successful three-pointers) got the Monarchs to within 40-36 with two made foul shots near the six-minute mark.

O'Connor (led Valley with 20 points) gave the Monarchs some breathing room, when she executed a layup with barely any defenders around her for a 42-38 score near the 3:50 mark of the third period.

A little later in the third period, O'Connor got the Monarchs to within 44-40 when she contorted/sashayed her body and then laid her shot into the basket.

Martinez-Williams put Valley into a further hole when she sunk a shot near the 20 second mark of the third period for a 48-41 Wolverines lead.

Obi gave the Monarchs some hope with an uncontested layup near the 4:50 mark of the 4^th period to cut the Wolverines' lead to 50-45.

And not too long after that layup, Obi cut the Wolverines' lead to 53-50 with another layup that she also was fouled on, and subsequently she took care of one of her two foul shots.

Obi a soft-spoken person by nature, was huge for the Monarchs tonight. She not only led her team in scoring, but also in rebounds. But none of that mattered to her post game. It's easy to tell that she cares more about winning than individual accomplishments. "We just weren't playing our game, we just let them [Wolverines] get to us," Obi said. As for her late-game heroics she had this to say. "My fire came late in this game. They [Wolverine defenders] left me open, so it was easier to get those layups."

Meanwhile, Wolverine forward REANDRENE JONES (5 points and 6 rebounds) pretty much put this game away with a successful jump shot near the foul line and at the 1:50 mark of the 4^th period. Jones' shot gave the Wolverines a 55-51 lead.

Clarendon was very appreciative of Jones's big shot. "That big shot came from a long time of getting pushed around today. And she finally boxed herself out, got her own rebound and made a layup," Clarendon said. 

Obi gave the Monarchs their last gasp at victory, with a successful two-point basket and then she made her one and only foul shot after said two-pointer. The score went to 55-54 near the 1:20 mark of the period with Obi's heroics. 

Lack of time and Carson's two successful foul shots gave the Wolverines a 57-54 lead near the 20 second mark of the fourth period. Carson was also the recipient of the final points of the game due to her successful foul shots which put the final score at 59-54.

photo by Varujhan Chapanian