AYE PLUS
In a highly competitive contest, FOR NTO outshot Permian Panthers, 88-77.
Both teams played tight man defense but the game started with better offense beating good defense. Matching basket for basket, the score was tied six times in 5m. of play. The pace continued and the lead see-sawed nine times. The final time came on a triple by Justin Igawa, giving Panthers a halftime advantage of 45-43.
Mitch Ito and Ryan Hurst both scored 14 points for NTO while Justin Igawa dropped in 12 for Panthers.
Hurst and Hubert Liu poured in five shots and FOR took the lead, 52-48, 11m. left in the game.
The NTO defense stiffened and Permian shot-making fell off. After going 14-of-35 in the first half, FOR limited Panthers to 8-for-33 in the second.
Over the next 9 min. Panthers managed to keep pace with NTO, matching points from the free throw line. Liu buried a trey and followed with a layup to push FOR’s lead to 81-70.
NTO converted 7 fts in the final 2m. to secure their win.
FOR (Rancho Dominguez Aye Plus 1st), won the game by shooting 47.2% from the floor. Hurst and Liu both scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds apiece and Ito made 20 while adding 5 assists.
AA
Pacific Pride Quicksilver continued their dominance in AA as they stopped Westside Lions, 76-62.
The six-time champion Quicksilver rode the long-distance sniping of Michael Reding. He hit 6 of 13 three-pointers and finished with 27 points. All five Pacific Pride players scored double digits.
The Westside iron five were led by Daniel Wong and Robert Reynolds, scoring 22 and 19, respectively.
With all five players contributing, Quicksilver sprinted out to a 21-10 lead. Lions offense woke up but they could only keep pace with PPQ. Pacific Pride held a 43-31 halftime lead.
The point for point matching continued until Reding keyed a 10-6 run for a 17-point Quicksilver lead, 62-45.
Lions battled back. Reynolds and Wong cut the deficit down to 63-54 with 7:25 left.
PPQ spread out the court, ran down the shot clock and Westsiders had to give fouls. Quicksilver made free throws to put the game on ice.
