Cougars work extra, extra hard for win

By Bill Dickens
Updated: December 20, 2016

DARRIN SPENCE (foreground) and the Cougars react after his three-pointer in overtime Monday night.

2016-17 EAST COUNTY PREP BOYS BASKETBALL

EastCountySports.com staff report

NATIONAL CITY (12-20-16) — Steele Canyon and Point Loma battled through two overtime periods before the Cougars came up with the brass ring in Monday’s (Dec. 20) Sweetwater Xtreme Glass Tournament.

Steele Canyon was down 2 at the half and down 8 going into the fourth quarter, but fought back until GAGE SANDERS hit one of his 3 treys to put the Cougars up by 3.

With .9 seconds left Point Loma had the ball and Steele Canyon was called for a 3-point foul. The Pointers’ player missed the first, made the second and was trying to miss the third so they could grab the rebound, but he made the free throw.

With .5 seconds remaining THOMAS FISHBURNE went to the free throw line and made both shots. Fishburne had 2 long-rangers in the game.

Point Loma threw a mighty heave from three-quarter court and made the basket as the buzzer sounded.

“It shouldn’t have counted,” said Cougars coach DEREK STEPHENS, “but they counted it and sent us into overtime.”

Both teams scrambled through the first overtime and ended up with Point Loma being up by 3 as time was expiring when Sanders passed the ball to DARRIN SPENCE, who hit one of his 4 triples of the night to send the game into the second overtime.

The game saw a big shift in the second OT as Steele Canyon scored 12 unanswered points to bring home the victory, 88-80.

Sanders, Spence and TYLER SMITH each scored 21 points in the game, while Fishburne scored 16.

“We were 25 of 48 on free throws and missed a handful of gimme layups,” Stephens said. “We left a lot of points on the board.”

“I thought NICK BARNS and JALEN SAYLES played really well,” he added. “They didn’t score a lot of points but they definitely affected the game.

“Sanders and Smith dominated the second quarter.”

Steele Canyon: Darrin Spence 21, Gage Sanders 21, Tyler Smith 21, Thomas Fishburne 16, Nick Barns 4, De’Angelo Lewis 3, Jalen Sayles 2.

ARMY-NAVY 73, MOUNT MIGUEL 58 – At the Foothill Tournament in Las Vegas, the Matadors fell to North County foe Army-Navy.

Tha Matadors trailed 31-26 at halftime, but couldn’t overcome the Warriors.

“We got in foul trouble and went cold. We couldn’t buy a bucket in the second half,” said Matadors coach JAY ROWLETT.

Mount Miguel: Mikeece Dunbar 20 (2 ast), James Allen 18 ( 5 ast, 3 stl), Darian Norwood 12 (9 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl), Devon Brown 6 (5 reb), Justice Chima 2 (1 reb, 1 stl), Marquise Edwards (6 reb), Raymond Lucas (1 reb), Mugabe Miller (1 stl), Marquis Neal 1 (reb).