WIllkomm's Buzzer Beater Delivers Thrilling 75-73 Win for Bulldogs over Rio Hondo to Open Holiday Classic

Matt Willkomm hit a layup as time expired to deliver a thrilling 75-73 win for the Allan Hancock College men's basketball team over Rio Hondo to close opening day of the 51^st annual Holiday Classic in Joe White Memorial Gymnasium on Monday evening. Hancock improved to 8-7 after the first meeting between the two programs since December 2013. Rio Hondo fell to 7-10.  

With Hancock holding a 73-70 lead in the final 15 seconds of the game, Rio Hondo's Leo Maidana made a layup and was fouled in the act. Maidana sank the free throw to tie the game 73-73 with 11 seconds to play. The Bulldogs called a time out and drew up a plan that ended with Willkomm's game-winning bucket, his second game-winner of the season. 

Willkomm, Malik Rhodes and Shane Carney each scored 17 points for the Bulldogs. Jeremiah Headley added eight points for Hancock.

After Rio Hondo scored the first six points of the game, Willkomm got the Bulldogs going in a big way. The Arroyo Grande High School graduate sank his first three shots of the game, all threes, to give Hancock a 9-8 advantage. The sophomore hit another later in the half to have 12 points on his first four shots from the floor. He had 12 points in the first half despite sitting out the last five minutes of the half with two fouls. After two free throws from Rhodes with 4:53 to play in the first half, Hancock took its largest lead of the game at 35-23. Rhodes poured in 10 points and Carney scored eight in the first 20 minutes as the Bulldogs led 38-33 at halftime.

Willkomm made five of seven shots from three-point range in the game to go with four offensive rebounds, two assists and three steals. Rhodes made six of 10 from the floor, including three of his five shots from three-point range. Carney sank three of six from beyond-the-arc and five of 11 overall. The freshman had four assists and three rebounds. Marcellus Garrick added six points, four rebounds and two steals. 

Freshman forward Emilio Gonzalez came off the bench to score six points and pull down six rebounds. 

Hancock shot 44 percent from the floor (26 for 59), 48 percent from three-point range (15 for 31) and sank 61 percent of its free throws (8 for 13).

Maidana scored a game-high 31 points for Rio Hondo. He made 13 of 17 from the field and hit five of his 10 free throws. Christian Smith added 17 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Rio Hondo hit 51 percent of its shots (29 for 57), but just 23 percent from three-point range (3 for 13) and 57 percent from the free-throw line (12 for 21).

Earlier in the day, Cuesta, the 17^th ranked team in California, knocked off No. 13 Bakersfield 79-73.The Cougars improved to 12-5 after five players scored 10 or more points led by Rafail Eleftheriou, who had 16 points and 13 rebounds. Evgeniy Moiseev added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Cougars. Deandre Dickson led Bakersfield with 22 points and 10 boards.

No. 14 Fresno City College improved to 12-5 and scored their seventh straight win with a 78-68 victory over Cerritos, which dropped to 8-6. Luis Medearis scored a game-high 20 points for Cerritos, while four Rams reached double digits. BJ Shelton led Fresno City with 14 points and eight rebounds. 

The three-day event continues on Tuesday and ends on Wednesday. 

On Tuesday, Bakersfield will play Cerritos at 3 p.m., followed by Rio Hondo and Cuesta at 5 p.m. The host Bulldogs will take on Fresno City at 7 p.m.

The Rams beat Hancock 88-84 earlier this month despite 21 points from Rhodes, 17 from Willkomm and 16 from Headley. Tim Ford finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.

Wednesday's slate of games includes Cerritos against Rio Hondo at 1 p.m., Cuesta against Fresno at 3 p.m., and Hancock versus Bakersfield to close the invitational at 5 p.m.