Feb 16, 2008

Skyline pulls away in 2nd half

Trojans keep playoff hopes alive with win

By Vytas Mazeika / Daily News Staff Writer

The Skyline College men's basketball team got more than it bargained for in the first half of Friday night's game against host Canada College. Such is the case in virtually every conference game in the Coast North.

But Skyline managed to pull away in the second half to win 69-48 and keep its playoff hopes alive. The Trojans have one regular season left, next Wednesday's sophomore night affair against the top team in the state.

"We're happy that we're in this position that we're talking playoffs," Skyline coach Justin Piergrossi said. "We've come a long way, the sophomores have worked very hard, and I told them this is the exact position you want to be in. We have control and we've got the No. 1 team in the state coming in."

Three different Trojans (16-13 overall, 5-6 Coast North) took turns scoring early, with guard Darren Morrison getting the first two inside baskets, followed by 5 points from swingman Shawn Echols and two buckets in the paint from center Mario Flaherty - the latter two both Mills High products.

Just 5 1/2 minutes in Skyline enjoyed a 13-5 lead.

Canada (3-25, 0-10) wouldn't go away, though, getting 3-pointers from Nick Wong - also from Mills - and Michael Granucci (Carlmont).

"Probably today was about as good as we've run our offense within the last couple of months," Canada coach Lamont Quattlebaum said. "I'm going to give (Skyline) credit, they played tough and strong defense, but we didn't exactly not get shots."

The Colts tied the game twice in the first half, the first time at 22 apiece on a pair of free throws from Serra product Tobias Wulff and then at 25-all on Wong's second 3-pointer.

But Canada was never able to claim the lead. Instead, Skyline guard Bryan Ngo went on his first spurt of the game scoring 7 of his team's final 10 points to give the Trojans a 33-27 edge at halftime.

"I think today he did a better job of attacking a little bit more and not settling," Piergrossi said of Ngo, who had struggled the past couple of games. "I think he was just a little more patient with his shot selection today, which helped him."

"I felt a little more comfortable today and my teammates got me the ball," Ngo said. "So I feel good about it."

The halftime deficit was cut in half when Canada's Jamario Rugley muscled his way inside for a basket plus the harm. The game never got any closer, though, as the Colts lost their shooting touch - making just 1 of their first 13 shot attempts.

"We did everything we should do except make shots," Quattlebaum said.

Skyline struggled at the beginning of the second half, turning the ball over multiple times and building only an 8-point lead after Rugley's second basket made it 44-36 with 9:58 left.

Then the Trojans turned up the heat, particularly Ngo, who scored 12 points in a span of just over four minutes.

"We just came in a little too excited to play, which I guess as coach you'd rather have them too excited than not excited enough," Piergrossi said.

"Once we got comfortable, started playing our game, that was it basically," Ngo said.

By the time Ngo sank three free throws with 3:11 to go to finish with a game-high 21 points, the lead was up to 64-46. Skyline had four players finish in double digits, including a pair of the early scorers - Echols (11) and Morrison (10). Backup center Matt Fochtman also had 11 points.

Canada was led by Granucci's 14, the only Colt to finish in double digits. Still winless in arguably the toughest conference in the northern California, Canada goes on the road Wednesday before finishing up at home next Friday against Foothill.

"We'll see if we can get one," Quattlebaum said. "You don't want to go winless."

You want to be talking playoffs, like Skyline.



E-mail Vytas Mazeika at vytas@dailynewsgroup.com.



Skyline 33 36 - 69

Canada 27 21 - 48

S-Ngo 6 8-9 21, Echols 4 3-3 11, Fochtman 4 3-14 11, Morrison 4 2-6 10, Flaherty 2 4-8 8, Battle 2 0-0 5, Rod Freeman 1 0-0 2, Edwards 0 1-2 1. Totals 23 21-33 69.

C-Granucci 4 4-4 14, Wong 2 2-2 8, Wulff 1 4-5 7, Bolaria 3 1-2 7, Rugley 2 1-1 5, Nakiso 1 1-3 3, Fazio 1 0-0 2, Moore 0 2-3 2, Reed 0 0-1 0. Totals 14 15-21 48.