header image

[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail

Inside
Weather


 
Calendar
Today in
S.C.V. History
March 29
1928 - Little dam victim, thought unidentified & buried in SCV, actually ID'd & buried in Chatsworth [story]
Newhall Cowboys


Derrick Fain

Derrick Fain

Derrick Fain scored six of his game-high 23 points in the second overtime, including a pair of go-ahead free throws, to lift The Master’s College past Westmont 85-84 in a thrilling GSAC contest played before an enthusiastic crowd in the MacArthur Center.

Left for dead in last place just 10 days ago, the Mustangs have vaulted up the conference standings to settle in a three-way tie for fourth place at 5-6 (17-9 overall), just one game back of second-place Concordia and Arizona Christian.  The victory was the squad’s second double-overtime triumph of the season and avenged a January 28 loss to the Warriors in Santa Barbara.

With the score deadlocked at 81-all with 45 seconds left in the second extra period, Fain (Dallas, TX), named the GSAC Player of the Week on Monday, canned two charity tosses to put the Mustangs ahead.  Westmont’s Jason Ritchey converted one of two from the line with 22 seconds remaining to carve the deficit to one and a desperate Warrior team fouled Fain again.  The junior sharpshooter calmly sank two more free tosses for a three-point lead.

Ritchey countered with a jumper at the five-second mark and the Warriors had one more chance following a Mustang turnover but couldn’t hit a game-winning shot.  That put an end to a wild second overtime that featured five lead changes.  The Mustangs led by as many three points twice (76-73 and 85-82) while Westmont’s largest advantage was 81-79.

That see-saw effect wasn’t part of the first extra period when the clubs had a hard time finding the hoop, combining for only 14 points.  However, free throws played a key role as the Mustangs scored their final three points from the line, including one by Dominique Lanier (Lakewood, CA) that knotted the game at 72 and paved the way for the second extra stanza.

All of this extra play was the result of a terrific second half that featured sparkling shooting by both clubs and a furious charge by Westmont in the waning moments.  Holding a seven-point (28-21) lead coming out of intermission, the Mustangs quickly claimed the evening’s only double-digit lead when Fain drained consecutive three-pointers and Bernard Ireland (Victorville, CA) scored on a layup to extend the margin to 36-26 at the 17:32 mark.

The Warriors responded with a pair of buckets but a Korey Anderson jumper with 15:39 left to play gave the Mustangs a 41-33 edge.  They would never enjoy that kind of margin the rest of the evening as the Warriors chipped away at the deficit over the next five minutes, taking their first lead (48-47) since the game’s opening minutes on a Mantas Drungys layup at the 10:03 mark.

They capped off what developed into a 10-3 burst two minutes later when Drungys buried a three-pointer for a 51-48 lead.  The momentum shifted dramatically, though, as the Mustangs reeled off eight straight points, taking a 56-51 advantage on a Fain jumper with 6:57 remaining.  Zach Stalin (Bellingham, WA) sparked the run with back-to-back baskets and Fain did the rest with a layup and his jumper.

The Mustangs enjoyed another five-point cushion at 60-55 before the Warriors closed with a rush, using consecutive trifectas in the span of 52 seconds to surge ahead by one.  An Ireland free throw knotted the game at 61 and Lanier moved the Mustangs back in front again, 63-61, with 1:33 on the clock.

However, Westmont’s Christopher Miller sandwiched a pair of jumpers, the second one tying the game at 65-all with 36 seconds remaining, around a Korey Anderson (Clovis, CA) dunk that eventually sent the game into overtime.

In the second half, the Mustangs shot a solid 56% (15-27) from the field while the Warriors were just a little better, going 18-30 (60%) from the floor.

That type of shooting was nowhere to be found in a rather ho-hum first half with neither club converting better than 40% of their shots.  Westmont started quickly, scoring the game’s first five points and led 12-7 at the 14:08 mark.

After hitting just one of their first seven shots and trailing by that five-point margin, the Mustangs found their offensive stroke, using it to score 17 of the game’s next 20 points and running away to a 24-15 lead.

Anderson ignited the charge with five straight points, including a rare three-pointer (his second of the season), Stalin rained one in from behind the arc as did Ireland and when Fain scored on a driving layup with 6:33 left in the opening half, the Mustangs had their nine-point lead.

Layups from Lanier and Anderson gave the club its third nine-point lead (28-19) in a five-minute stretch before a Miller jumper sent the clubs to the locker room separated by seven points.

After all the dust had settled, the Mustangs could point to their third straight game of shooting better than 50% from the field as one of the reasons why they are enjoying this late-season surge.  The Mustangs wound up going 30-59 (51%) from the floor while the Warriors finished at 47%.

Meanwhile, Westmont will look back on this one and see their horrendous 5-15 showing from the charity stripe as the reason why they lost.  The Mustangs converted 18-26 (69%).

Fain earned his game-high total on 8-14 shooting, including a 3-6 performance from behind the arc, and a perfect 4-4 from the line.  Anderson added 15 points and took down a team-high seven rebounds, Jason Logan notched 13 points off the bench, and Lanier scored 12 more, eight of those from the line.

The Mustangs continue their rush toward the upper echelon of the GSAC on Saturday when they welcome San Diego Christian to Bross Court for a 7:30pm start.  The Mustangs beat the Hawks 77-67 on February 1 in El Cajon.

Comment On This Story
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.

0 Comments

You can be the first one to leave a comment.

Leave a Comment


WATCH NOW
LOCAL SPORTS HEADLINES
Thursday, Mar 28, 2024
College of the Canyons mens golf got back on track during its return to conference play on Monday, carding a five-man score of 370 to top the eight-team field at Brookside Golf Course and maintain its unblemished conference mark.
Tuesday, Mar 26, 2024
College of the Canyons women's tennis played to a convincing 7-2 conference win over Ventura College on Moica to strengthen its potential playoff resume.
Monday, Mar 25, 2024
The Master's University men's volleyball team took to the road and came away with a 3-set victory, 25-19, 25-16, 25-22, over the Hope International Royals in Fullerton.
Thursday, Mar 21, 2024
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Battling back from a 12-point deficit, The Master's University basketball team had the lead late but could not hold it, losing to the No. 1 seed Freed-Hardeman 68-69 in the Round of 16 at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Men's Basketball National Championship.
Thursday, Mar 21, 2024
GOLETA — College of the Canyons fielded two teams at the annual 3C2A State Preview event at Sandpiper Golf Course on Monday, with the Cougars finishing sixth and eighth in the field of 18 teams from around the state. 

Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
1928 - Little dam victim, thought unidentified & buried in SCV, actually ID'd & buried in Chatsworth [story]
Newhall Cowboys
Los Angeles County Public Works is updating the Los Angeles County Bicycle Master Plan.
April 16:  County Bicycle Master Plan Virtual Community Meeting
College of the Canyons mens golf got back on track during its return to conference play on Monday, carding a five-man score of 370 to top the eight-team field at Brookside Golf Course and maintain its unblemished conference mark.
Cougars Win Again, Keep Conference Streak
Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector, reminds property owners that the second installment of the 2023-24 Annual Secured Property Taxes becomes  delinquent if not received by 5 p.m. Pacific Time or United States Postal Service postmarked on or before Wednesday, April 10, 2024.
County Treasurer Reminds Property Owners of April 10 Due Date
Local nonprofit Fostering Youth Independence is seeking “Allies” to support Santa Clarita youth who are aging out of the L.A. County foster care system.
April 16: FYI Seeks Volunteers To Pair With Local Foster Youth
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health today unveiled the latest L.A. County Health Survey, which gathers vital data on health behaviors, conditions, neighborhood settings, and the needs of L.A .County residents, informing future public health policies and programs.
Public Health Unveils the 2023 L.A. County Health Survey Findings
Due to the projected rain forecast, Eggstravaganza will now be held indoors at the Canyon Country Community Center beginning promptly at 10 a.m. on March 30.
March 30: Eggstravaganza Now Being Held Indoors at Canyon Country Community Center
To support the mental health of California's young people, the California Department of Public Health awarded $25 million to 28 tribal and community-based organizations across the state.
California Announces $25 Million in Awards for Youth Mental Health
The College of the Canyons Athletic Department will host a dedication ceremony to unveil the Michele Jenkins Softball Team Room in honor of the longtime board member and ardent softball program supporter’s nearly 40 years of service to the district.
April 16: COC to Host Michele Jenkins Team Room Dedication Ceremony
PFLAG Santa Clarita has announced the establishment of the Peggy and Jeff Stabile PFLAG SCV Scholarship. The scholarship will provide financial assistance to LGBTQIA+ students pursuing higher education and committed to advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights and promoting diversity and inclusion.
PFLAG SCV Announces Stabile PFLAG Scholarship
1934 - Bouquet Canyon Reservoir, replacement for ill-fated St. Francis Dam & reservoir, begins to fill with water [story]
Bouquet Reservoir
The California Department of Public Health launched the “Never a Bother” campaign, a youth suicide prevention public awareness and outreach campaign for youth, young adults, and their parents, caregivers, and allies.
California Launches New Youth Suicide Prevention Campaign
The Santa Clarita Master Chorale invites the community to "Let the Sunshine In," a delightful evening of food, wine and song at the annual Cabaret & Cabernet fundraising benefit.
April 20: Santa Clarita Master Chorale’s Cabaret, Cabernet Fundraiser
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions residents who are planning to visit the below Los Angeles County beaches to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean waters:
March 27 Ocean Water Warning
As an integral ingredient necessary to help the Santa Clarita Valley to flourish, feedback from the business community is the secret sauce for achieving great things.
SCVEDC Asks For the Business Community’s Opinion on Santa Clarita
Raise your heart rate while raising funds for the Santa Clarita Sister Cities Dollars-for-Desks campaign to provide school desks for students in Sariaya, Santa Clarita's Sister City in the Philippines.
April 13: Sister Cities Zumba-thon Fundraiser
Remo, Inc. is is the world's leading manufacturer and developer of synthetic drumheads and shells. They’ve been in business for 60 years
SCVEDC Company Spotlight: Drumming Up Big Business with Remo, Inc.
California State Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo (D-Chatsworth) and Assemblyman James Ramos (D-Highland) have introduced AB 3074 the "School or athletic team names: California Racial Mascots Act."
Schiavo Introduces Bill to Prohibit ‘Derogatory’ School Mascot Names
Los Angeles County’s Justice, Care and Opportunities Department  in collaboration with Local Initiatives Support Corporation Los Angeles is proud to announce the 2nd Annual Pitch Competition for the cohorts of JCOD's Incubation Academy.
March 28: JCOD Incubation Academy Helps Grassroots Non-Profits For the Second Year
Children’s Bureau is seeking foster families and now offers two virtual ways for individuals and/or couples to learn how to help children in foster care while reunifying with birth families or how to provide legal permanency by adoption.
April 18: Children’s Bureau Hosts Virtual Orientation
The Sunburst track was constructed in 1887 by the Southern Pacific Railroad and was a part of the main line running between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Enjoy Spring With a Ride On The Sunburst Track
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond hosted a Personal Finance Summit today where he announced his support for Assembly Bill 2927 (McCarty), legislation that would require a personal finance education course for California high school graduation.
State Superintendent Announces Support for Personal Finance Graduation Requirement
1847 - Probable birth date of Pico Canyon oil driller Charles Alexander Mentry [story]
C.A. Mentry
SCVNews.com