DEWLICIOUS
1/3/2010 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- When the final buzzer sounded two seconds after Davey Hopkins slammed home the game's final points, and California Baptist University celebrated its 72-64 upset of the NAIA's No. 7-ranked Fresno Pacific, Larry Dew was right in the middle of his team's celebratory circle near midcourt.
And fittingly so, since he was in the middle of everything else tonight.
Though his numbers were right at his season averages and weren't necessarily sparkling, his imprint on the game was. He finished with 14 points, four assists, four steals, four rebounds and a blocked shot, but he frustrated the Sunbirds all night with his pesky defense and lightning quick speed. No to mention, he hit two clutch free throws.
“Larry was awesome tonight,” said CBU Head Coach Tim Collins. “He got to the rim a ton and defended exceptionally well. I really thought he was the best player on the floor.”
High praise, especially since the reigning GSAC Player of the Year James Lewis was also on the floor.
After the Lancers wasted all but one point of a 13-point advantage in the final four minutes, and the Sunbirds climbed within 65-64 with 38 seconds to play, Dew calmly buried a pair of free throws to push the margin back to three, and the Sunbirds were never heard from again.
The win moves the Lancers to 9-4 overall, 2-1 GSAC and is a nice answer to the disappointing 23-point loss to Cal Maritime earlier this week. Meanwhile, the defending GSAC Champion Sunbirds have their five-game win streak snapped and drop to 11-2, 1-2.
It is the first of three straight games against ranked teams for the Lancers, and they start the stretch in the best possible way. The Lancers host No. 22 Westmont Tuesday before traveling to No. 2 Concordia next Saturday. Both Westmont and Concordia won tonight as well.
“We're not a top 25 team, so coming out here and proving that we still have a good program and we're going to fight to win games like this, that's what we're trying to instill into these guys,” said Collins. “To get the first win in this stretch is huge. We still have a long road to haul but getting this first one is a big step in the right direction.”
With the game tied 30-30 early in the second half, the Lancers scored nine straight points in a 1:45 span to take the lead for good. Dew started and ended the flurry with lay-ups and had a steal and breakaway dunk in the middle of it. Hopkins had the other three points.
The Sunbirds got within five twice over the next five minutes, but the Lancers responded with a 10-2 run highlighted by a trio Justus Von Wright 3-pointers from the corner to take a 56-43 lead with eight minutes left.
“It's my job to hit threes,” said Von Wright. “If I'm not shooting well, it becomes a hard game for us to win. Coach makes me shoot a hundred of them a day, and it paid off tonight.”
The Lancers led 61-48 with 4:40 to play when the Sunbirds awoke from their slumber.
Using a full court press, the Sunbirds forced the Lancers into five of their 15 turnovers and parlayed them into a 16-4 run to whittle the deficit to 65-64 with 38 seconds left. However, after making just 9-of-20 free throws in the first 19:26 of the second half, the Lancers, who are last in the GSAC shooting just 55.3 percent from the line, made 5-of-6 in the final 34 seconds to ice the game.
Conversely, the Sunbirds, who were third in the NAIA in free throw shooting coming in, were just 19-for-31 (.613) from the line. In addition to that, the Lancers forced the Sunbirds into a season-high 25 turnovers, including 15 in the second half, and held them 17 points below their season average.
“We're a good defensive team,” said Von Wright. “We got after them in the second half and used our defense to spark our offense.”
The Lancers had season-highs with 17 steals and six blocked shots and scored 30 points off the Sunbirds' giveaways.
Fresno Pacific took its largest lead, 13-5, on a jumper by Jesse Childs with 12:15 to play in the first half. Hopkins' only 3-pointer of the night with four seconds left brought the Lancers within 27-26 at the intermission. CBU shot just 34.6 percent (9-for-26) in the first half and committed nine of its 15 turnovers but kept within striking distance.
Three Lancers finished in double figures. Hopkins led the way with 17 points, his first double-digit scoring output since Dec. 1, to go along with a game-high eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. Like Dew, Von Wright finished with 14 points in 20 minutes. Cesar Menjivar chipped in with nine points off the bench. All 11 Lancers that played either scored or had an assist and a steal.
"We got contributions from everyone tonight," said Collins.
Alex Davenport led the Sunbirds with 17 points. Lewis finished with 15 points but was held scoreless for the first 10 minutes of the second half while the Lancers made their game-clinching run.
“We played so well tonight,” said Collins. “That's a good team we just beat. Even with a nine-point lead, they are scary. To hang on and make the shots we needed to was big. We made them when it counted most.”
And fittingly so, since he was in the middle of everything else tonight.
Though his numbers were right at his season averages and weren't necessarily sparkling, his imprint on the game was. He finished with 14 points, four assists, four steals, four rebounds and a blocked shot, but he frustrated the Sunbirds all night with his pesky defense and lightning quick speed. No to mention, he hit two clutch free throws.
“Larry was awesome tonight,” said CBU Head Coach Tim Collins. “He got to the rim a ton and defended exceptionally well. I really thought he was the best player on the floor.”
High praise, especially since the reigning GSAC Player of the Year James Lewis was also on the floor.
After the Lancers wasted all but one point of a 13-point advantage in the final four minutes, and the Sunbirds climbed within 65-64 with 38 seconds to play, Dew calmly buried a pair of free throws to push the margin back to three, and the Sunbirds were never heard from again.
The win moves the Lancers to 9-4 overall, 2-1 GSAC and is a nice answer to the disappointing 23-point loss to Cal Maritime earlier this week. Meanwhile, the defending GSAC Champion Sunbirds have their five-game win streak snapped and drop to 11-2, 1-2.
It is the first of three straight games against ranked teams for the Lancers, and they start the stretch in the best possible way. The Lancers host No. 22 Westmont Tuesday before traveling to No. 2 Concordia next Saturday. Both Westmont and Concordia won tonight as well.
“We're not a top 25 team, so coming out here and proving that we still have a good program and we're going to fight to win games like this, that's what we're trying to instill into these guys,” said Collins. “To get the first win in this stretch is huge. We still have a long road to haul but getting this first one is a big step in the right direction.”
With the game tied 30-30 early in the second half, the Lancers scored nine straight points in a 1:45 span to take the lead for good. Dew started and ended the flurry with lay-ups and had a steal and breakaway dunk in the middle of it. Hopkins had the other three points.
The Sunbirds got within five twice over the next five minutes, but the Lancers responded with a 10-2 run highlighted by a trio Justus Von Wright 3-pointers from the corner to take a 56-43 lead with eight minutes left.
“It's my job to hit threes,” said Von Wright. “If I'm not shooting well, it becomes a hard game for us to win. Coach makes me shoot a hundred of them a day, and it paid off tonight.”
The Lancers led 61-48 with 4:40 to play when the Sunbirds awoke from their slumber.
Using a full court press, the Sunbirds forced the Lancers into five of their 15 turnovers and parlayed them into a 16-4 run to whittle the deficit to 65-64 with 38 seconds left. However, after making just 9-of-20 free throws in the first 19:26 of the second half, the Lancers, who are last in the GSAC shooting just 55.3 percent from the line, made 5-of-6 in the final 34 seconds to ice the game.
Conversely, the Sunbirds, who were third in the NAIA in free throw shooting coming in, were just 19-for-31 (.613) from the line. In addition to that, the Lancers forced the Sunbirds into a season-high 25 turnovers, including 15 in the second half, and held them 17 points below their season average.
“We're a good defensive team,” said Von Wright. “We got after them in the second half and used our defense to spark our offense.”
The Lancers had season-highs with 17 steals and six blocked shots and scored 30 points off the Sunbirds' giveaways.
Fresno Pacific took its largest lead, 13-5, on a jumper by Jesse Childs with 12:15 to play in the first half. Hopkins' only 3-pointer of the night with four seconds left brought the Lancers within 27-26 at the intermission. CBU shot just 34.6 percent (9-for-26) in the first half and committed nine of its 15 turnovers but kept within striking distance.
Three Lancers finished in double figures. Hopkins led the way with 17 points, his first double-digit scoring output since Dec. 1, to go along with a game-high eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. Like Dew, Von Wright finished with 14 points in 20 minutes. Cesar Menjivar chipped in with nine points off the bench. All 11 Lancers that played either scored or had an assist and a steal.
"We got contributions from everyone tonight," said Collins.
Alex Davenport led the Sunbirds with 17 points. Lewis finished with 15 points but was held scoreless for the first 10 minutes of the second half while the Lancers made their game-clinching run.
“We played so well tonight,” said Collins. “That's a good team we just beat. Even with a nine-point lead, they are scary. To hang on and make the shots we needed to was big. We made them when it counted most.”
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