December 30, 2011
Bulldogs Win Holiday Classic Tournament Championship
The Bulldogs beat the Cuesta College Cougars 70-69 to take the championship title at the Allan Hancock College Holiday Classic men’s basketball tournament Dec. 28-30. A large crowd turned out to watch the Allan Hancock College men’s basketball team go up against Cuesta for their first Hancock Holiday Classic championship since 2000.
Hancock took the lead early in the game and kept it for the majority of the first half, with Cuesta reclaiming a 26-25 lead with less than seven minutes left on the clock. From then on the two teams traded the lead back and forth until the momentum shifted in Cuesta’s favor after they hit two three pointers in a row and took their largest lead of the game, 35-29. Hancock called a time out and came back fighting but it looked like Cuesta would end the half with a slim 44-43 lead until, with just seconds left on the shot clock Alex MacNeil hit a three-pointer to give the Bulldogs the edge.
The second half of the game turned out to be just as exciting, though Hancock led by ten points or more throughout most of the half. Strong defense led by Taylor Pruett, Abraham Millsap, Andrew Douby and Keith Bowman kept the Cougar’s score low and with six minutes left on the clock the Bulldogs were up 65-55.
After Millsap fouled out and Jordan O’Byrne came close, the Cougars crept back up, bringing the score to 69-67 and then hitting a three-pointer to tie the game at 69-69 with just over a minute on the clock. It looked like the game was going into overtime until Cuesta fouled Douby with two seconds left to go. Douby missed his first shot but made the second and the Bulldogs claimed the title by a mere point.
In the championship game Jordan O’Byrne led the team in scoring with 24 points. Millsap scored 12 points and six rebounds and Douby and Alex MacNeil both scored 11 points. Pruett scored eight points, had two steals and one block.
Millsap and Pruett were named tournament Co-MVPs and Jordan O’Byrne was named All-Tournament.
Hancock took the lead early in the game and kept it for the majority of the first half, with Cuesta reclaiming a 26-25 lead with less than seven minutes left on the clock. From then on the two teams traded the lead back and forth until the momentum shifted in Cuesta’s favor after they hit two three pointers in a row and took their largest lead of the game, 35-29. Hancock called a time out and came back fighting but it looked like Cuesta would end the half with a slim 44-43 lead until, with just seconds left on the shot clock Alex MacNeil hit a three-pointer to give the Bulldogs the edge.
The second half of the game turned out to be just as exciting, though Hancock led by ten points or more throughout most of the half. Strong defense led by Taylor Pruett, Abraham Millsap, Andrew Douby and Keith Bowman kept the Cougar’s score low and with six minutes left on the clock the Bulldogs were up 65-55.
After Millsap fouled out and Jordan O’Byrne came close, the Cougars crept back up, bringing the score to 69-67 and then hitting a three-pointer to tie the game at 69-69 with just over a minute on the clock. It looked like the game was going into overtime until Cuesta fouled Douby with two seconds left to go. Douby missed his first shot but made the second and the Bulldogs claimed the title by a mere point.
In the championship game Jordan O’Byrne led the team in scoring with 24 points. Millsap scored 12 points and six rebounds and Douby and Alex MacNeil both scored 11 points. Pruett scored eight points, had two steals and one block.
Millsap and Pruett were named tournament Co-MVPs and Jordan O’Byrne was named All-Tournament.