Despite 17 from Willkomm, Bulldogs Fall on Road 57-55 to Porterville

A potential game-winning half-court shot at the buzzer by Marcellus Garrick did not fall, and the Allan Hancock College men's basketball team dropped a tight 57-55 road game at Porterville on Friday evening. Hancock dropped to 5-5 overall, Porterville improved to 4-8.

Porterville scored the first nine points of the game against the Bulldogs. The Pirates led the entire first half and carried a 33-25 lead into halftime.

Matt Willkomm led the Bulldogs with 17 points. The Arroyo Grande High School graduate made six of his 17 shots, including five of 12 from three-point range. Malik Rhodes added 15 points on six for 11 shooting. Willkomm and Rhodes had four assists apiece. Rhodes also had six rebounds.

Freshman post Tim Ford, Jr. grabbed 12 rebounds for the Bulldog who were outrebounded by the Pirates 38-36.

After the sluggish start and falling behind 41-29 with 14:30 to play in the second half, the Bulldogs battled back. Rhodes hit a three-point bucket seven minutes later to make it a two-point deficit. After a Pirate bucket, Garrick hit a three to make it a one-point game at 48-47 with 6:38 to play.

The Bulldogs took their first lead of the game when Willkomm buried a three-pointer to give Hancock a 51-50 lead with 4:33 to play. After Rhodes tied the game at 53-53 later on a layup with one minute to play, Leonard Herring made a jumper and sank two free throws on the Pirates' next two possessions to give Porterville a 57-53 lead with 17 seconds remaining. Rhodes quickly scored to make it a two-point game. Porterville missed a chance to seal it at the free throw line allowing the Bulldogs to get off one more shot, Garrick's half-court toss.

The Bulldogs shot 34 percent from the field on 19 for 55 shooting. They made 11 of their 32 shots from three-point range, or 34 percent Hancock sank just six of their 16 shots from the free throw line.

Porterville made 34 percent of its shots from the floor on 20 for 59 shooting. The Pirates made seven of 21 from three-point territory and 10 of 18 foul shots.

Hancock returns to action Wednesday, December 15 when the Bulldogs play in a five-day tournament hosted by Modesto Junior College. They play Sacramento City College at 8 p.m.