In the final few possessions of the game, the Javelinas (3-4) made a pair of important plays. With the score 64-63 in favor of the Hoggies, the Riverhawks (3-3) had the ball with under 30 seconds to play. Star guard Dominique Gaines attempted to drive to the basket, but was called for a charge when he plowed into Ricky Simon (Lamarque/Lamarque HS) with 7.8 seconds remaining in the game. Then junior Mark Stevenson (South Bend, IN/R.J. Reynolds (NC) HS) was fouled on the inbounds pass and calmly drained a pair of free throws. NSU’s final three-point try was off the mark at the buzzer.
The Javelinas got a good start when Pierce Brooks (North Hills, CA/Sherman Oaks HS) and Stevenson each hit three-pointers on the team’s first two possessions. The game quickly became a back-and-forth affair with neither team leading by more than seven points throughout the game.
The Riverhawks led by six late in the first half when the Javelinas closed out the half on a 9-0 run that was capped by a Stevenson three-pointer to give the Hoggies a 30-27 half time lead.
In the second half, the Javelinas clung to a small lead for the majority of the time. They grabbed the lead by getting a couple of fast break layups sandwiched around a three-pointer by Stevenson. They led until Gaines scored on an old-fashioned three-point play with 4:42 remaining.
Two straight jumpers by Mullins gave the Hoggies back the lead with under four minutes to play. He would knock down another jumper with 2:20 remaining to make it 64-59 and set up the final moments of the game.
The Javelinas shot 43.3 percent from the field, made 4-of-13 three-point attempts and were 10-for-20 at the foul line. Mullins led the team with 21 points off the bench as he connected on 10-fo-12 shots from the field. Stevenson added 15 points, a trio of three-pointers, four rebounds and three assists. Marcus Ford (Colorado Springs, CO/Mesa Ridge HS) added 11 points and a team high nine rebounds. The team had 12 assists against only eight turnovers while playing the Riverhawks to a draw in rebounds.
The Riverhawks shot 38.3 percent from the field, made 6-of-20 three-pointers and were 21-of-33 at the foul line. Gaines led the team with 18 points, but was only 4-for-13 from the field and 10-of-17 at the foul line. Antoine Branch added 13 points while draining three three-pointers. Jermaine Bransford came off the bench to score 10 points and grab eight boards. They had 12 assists, but 15 turnovers in the game.
The Javelinas are back in action on Saturday at 3 p.m. against nationally ranked Central Oklahoma at home.
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