SANTA BARBARA – On the third and final day of the SBCC Holiday Classic, the Vaquero men's basketball team had a chance to tie Long Beach on the final possession of the game, but came up just short in a frantic finish, 80-78.
Guard Elijah Simpson one-upped his recent sterling performances with a season-high 23 points (7-10 FG) to go with four steals. Simpson's ability to get to the line where he made 8-of-10 free throws, along with forward Adam Weingard's timely outside shooting (18 points, 4-6 3FG), helped keep SBCC in it down the stretch.
However, things didn't end the way the Vaqueros (5-10) wanted on the final play when forward Brycyn Gossett appeared to take contact from a defender sliding into him and his potential tying shot from just a few feet away came off the rim.
"I'm really proud of the group for their perseverence. I think it's clear now that we have a no-quit mentality which is great to have, because I feel like we're never really going to be out of a game," head coach Devin Engebretsen said. "For the tournament, we learned some things about ourselves. We still have a commitment to getting better at defense, but I also think we proved that we can score. This group is so young and we're continuing to grow and battle, and I think that conference is going to be exciting."
HOW IT HAPPENED
1st Half
- Both teams were hot shooting the ball to start, but the Vaqueros struggled to take care of the ball. Long Beach (7-6) embarked on a 25-9 extended run over about a 10-minute span, giving the Vikings their first double-digit lead of the day.
- The Vaqueros would end the half shooting an outstanding 60.9 percent (14-23 FG) from the field, but still found themselves trailing by 14 in the final minute. The home side went into the break strong with a 5-0 run on their final two possessions coming on a Weingard layup and a buzzer beater three by Simpson, trailing 43-34.
2nd Half
- That momentum carried into the second half. Every Vaquero starter contributed as they scored on three of their first four possessions, extending to an 11-0 run on a Tommy Condon layup several minutes in to make it 43-40.
- Both sides exchanged blows as SBCC refused to let it get away. The Long Beach lead grew back to double-digits, but Weingard scored 13 of his 18 in the second half to help keep the Vaqueros in striking distance.
- SBCC trailed by eight in the final minute, leading to one of the wildest sequences of the season over the final 45 seconds. Point guard Wilfrid Nado hit a three. Simpson hit a jumper. The Vaqueros forced one turnover and nearly another on a scramble for a loose ball. Nado got fouled on another three and Long Beach missed five free throws.
- With nine seconds left, the Vaqueros trailed by two with no timeouts. They rushed down the court following an empty Viking trip to the line and Simpson found Gossett with a great pass inside, but he wasn't able to convert at the buzzer.
��SBCC 78, Long Beach 80
— SBCCVaqueros (@SBCCVaqs) December 12, 2021
Wild finish and great fight from the Vaqueros, as they nearly pulled off the stunning last minute comeback in the SBCC Classic Consolation Championship Game
Simpson 23 pts, 3 asts
Weingard 18 pts, 4-6 3FG
Nado 11 pts, 5 ast, 4 rebs pic.twitter.com/1AcvV24iye
NOTABLE
- SBCC tied a season-high by shooting 53.8 percent from the field. Four of five starters shot at least 50 percent from the field.
- The Vaqueros knocked down 8-of-18 (44.4%) from outside, good for their second-highest three-point percentage of the season.
- Weingard scored 18 for the second straight game. His jumper was on automatic during the SBCC Classic. He shot 61.5 percent (8-13) on threes this weekend.
- One day after setting a season-best in rebounds, the Vaqueros had their lowest rebound total (25) against Long Beach.
- Nado ended his day with 11 points and five assists. He had at least five assists in all three games at the SBCC Classic.
QUOTABLE - Head Coach Devin Engebretsen
- ON THE GAME – "We had an opportunity to win or tie at the buzzer. Unfortunately, we didn't get the call that we felt we should have, but I told the guys if we take care of the defensive glass, then that last play doesn't matter. We'd probably have the lead if we would've rebounded. We have to protect the glass a little bit better."
- ON THE GUARDS – "Elijah has been just a blossoming player since he was inserted into the starting lineup. He's been on a mission and it's been great to see. He's so coachable and just a really good young man. His energy and how hard he plays is infectious with the other guys. I also want to highlight Wilfred. He's been thrown into a new role since Jaelen Bates broke his hand, and he's been logging over 25 minutes a game at the point guard spot which can be taxing. He has stepped up, he's really distributing the ball well."
SBCC CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT
Santa Barbara Northside Optimist Championship Trophy
Ventura
Tri-Valley 2nd Place Trophy
College of the Desert
3rd Place Trophy – Bakersfield
Consolation Trophy – Long Beach
Trish Dupart Memorial MVP
Adrian McIntyre (Ventura)
All-Tournament Team
Anthony McIntyre (Ventura)
D.J. Adams (Desert)
Marquis McKinzey (Desert)
Tyrell Coleman (Bakersfield)
Kameron Mayhan (Long Beach)
NEXT UP
- Santa Barbara travels to play Bakersfield for its next game on Tuesday, Dec. 28 at 4:00 p.m.