SoCalHoops Tournament News

College Prep Review Dream Classic 2001:
Game 3--Clovis West Beats Dominguez--(Jan. 16, 2001)

What 7th Annual Dream Classic MLK Holiday Challenge Where: Loyola Marymount University Gersten Pavilion When Monday, January 15, 2001 (MLK Weekend) Who 10 SoCal Teams, including many top players

Clovis West 65, Compton Dominguez 61

Tyson Chandler scored a triple-double even in defeat 7'-0" Tyson Chandler skies over 6'-2" Tyrone Jackson

Clovis West (15-2) is one really smart, really tough and especially disciplined team, and on Monday in the third game of the Dream Classic, they introduced Compton Domginuez (14-3) to their own brand of nightmarish defense, the same kind of defensive full court pressure which led the Hustlin Eagles to upset the Dons at the BCW Tournament a year ago. . . the only difference this year was that rather than a stronger backcourt than last year's team, this year's version of the Dons has a backcourt which is certainly less experienced and less able to deal with the unexpected.  And Dominguez looked completely shocked and surprised yesterday as the Clovis West team, led by Stanford signee Chris Hernandez outscored Dominguez 22-12 in the first quarter, and then went into the locker room with a 35-29 halftime lead.  Dominguez came back in the third quarter, outscoring Clovis 22-15 to end the quarter up by a single point, 51-50, but in the end, Clovis West out shot, out-hustled, and outsmarted the Dons 15-10 in the final and decisive fourth quarter.    Dominguez also committed an astonishing 31 turnovers while Clovis West picked up 21 steals to Dominguez' 4 steals, and the Eagles only committed 15 turnovers of their own.

The Clovis defense just came out in the first minute of the game swarming all over the place, and it was clear that no one besides Tyson had a real clue about what was happening, as there were even times when Tyson was being fronted by the smaller guards, and yet rather than looking for the lob pass, the younger Dominguez guards like Paul Johnson were throwing it in at Tyson's feet, making it doubly-difficult for him to score.  When a larger guard like Keion Kindred was feeding the post, predictably he'd go over the smaller defenders, lobbing the ball in and Tyson only had to turn and score, something that the young guys will have to learn if they want to continue to win.  Still, even with two or three defenders hanging off him like ornaments on a Christmas tree, Tyson still managed a triple double, picking up 17 points, 15 rebounds and 11 blocked shots.  In Dominguez' defense, Paul Johnson, who came in for a brief stretch at the point did manage to shoot 2/3 from the field in just under 4 minutes and he made some nice post entry passes too.   Darius Sanders did what Darius Sanders does, and he collected 6 quiet points while blocking up the middle, but against a team like Clovis it really didn't matter because Jason Walberg went off for a team-high 18 points, including 3 threes (3-6 from three point range, 5-5 from the line). 

Bobby Jones (6'-6" Jr. F) was a bright spot occasionally for the Dons, and he also scored a team-high 19 points with some slashing and driving baskets, and one almost impossible stretched out dunk which ultimately was called a charge and which flattened Chris Hernandez, who is sort of the Wile E.  Coyote of high school basketball. . . he runs into a wall, and gets up as though nothing hurts. . . he bleeds, gets cut, hammered, has any number of players fall on him and yet he just keeps on going. . . the only difference is that this time, he caught the Roadrunner (come to think of it, in a cartoony sort of way, doesn't Tyson kind of remind you of the Roadrunner. . .just a bit?). . . Chris didn't score a ton on Monday, but he frustrated the Dons repeatedly, driving, dishing and picking up 3 steals and at least a for more assists than the number recorded in the "official" stats. Chris finished with 17 points, and his road-buddy, Tyrone Jackson finished with 16 points. Tyrone is sort of interesting, because if he was a more reliable shooter, he'd be a spectacular player.  As it was, he only shot 6-15 from the field, and missed a ton (well,actually 5) free throws, but they were all crucial ones, coming when the game was really on the line.

Both Chris Hernandez and Tyrone Jackson had to sit out most of the third quarter as they both picked up their fourth fouls midway through the third quarter, and not surprisingly, it was with Chris out of the game when Dominguez made their mini-run and came back to take the lead in the game for the first time at the end of the third quarter.  That run started, appropriately with a very pretty 3-pointer from Tyson Chandler and Dominguez proceeded to outscore Clovis West 10-0.  But the fourth quarter belonged to Clovis West.  When Chris came back in, Clovis West went on an 11-3 run, pulling away and staying out in front. Dominguez got close, to within three when Bobby Jones dunked it over two Clovis defenders, and again when Darius Sanders grabbed an offensive rebound to bring the score to 63-60.  But that was as close as it got, and the Eagles hung on for the win as Hernandez hit two clutch free throws in the final seconds.

Tyson's frustration with the Dominguez guard play was evident in the last five minutes of the game as Tyson attempted to guard Hernandez himself, and he actually did about as credible a job as you'd expect to see with a 7-footer taking on a 6'-2" guard. . . It wasn't like when Tyson tried to defend Wesley Stokes in a summer tournament as he did a year ago at the Pump Fall Premier, but likewise, he wasn't much more effective at containing Hernandez either.   But all in all, despite his frustration, Tyson showed that he's a great competitor and a gentleman even in defeat. . . several of the Dominguez players rushed off the floor rather than shake hands with the Clovis guys, but Tyson, who at first started to run for the door suddenly stopped, turned around and led the line to congratulate the Clovis West players, and then he stuck around to watch the rest of the games, chatting it up with the media, internet folks, and a lot of the NBA scouts in attendance.   This was a great game between two of the best programs in California and as one person wrote on our message board this morning. . . we were just sorry that someone had to lose.    It was a convincing win for a Clovis West team which wanted to make a statement that they are a team which hopes to be back at Arco Arena in March. . . and no doubt they were aware that Mater Dei was in the house watching too. . . Oh and for those anticipating a rematch of Clovis West and De La Salle, we understand that DLS played up north in their own version of the MLK Classic, beating Modesto Christian in an amazing game in which Oregon State singee Joe See scored 18 points. . . should be an interesting March. . .  

Clovis West Hustlin' Eagles--65

Total FG            1st Half    13/27    481    2nd Half      8/32    250     Game     21/59    356
3 PT FG            1st Half     4/10      400    2nd Half      1/4      250      Game    5/14      357
Free Throws      1st Half    5/10       500    2nd Half      13/18  722     Game     18/28    643

Dominguez--61

Total FG            1st Half    13/24    542    2nd Half      13/25  520     Game     26/49    531
3 PT FG            1st Half     0/3        0         2nd Half     1/3       333     Game    1/6         167
Free Throws      1st Half    3/5        600    2nd Half       5/9      556      Game    8/14      571

 
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