Photo by Eric Sun
VENTURA, Calif. – After trailing by a point at the intermission, top ranked City College of San Francisco jumped out with a 10-point run to start the second half and took an 82-72 victory over defending champ San Diego City College for the 2018 California Community College Athletic Association Men's Basketball title Sunday at Ventura College.
Eddie Stansberry had 21 points, Michael Wright had 19, and Lewis Hayes added 17 off the bench for the Rams.
Coast North Conference champion CCSF (33-1) won its fourth state title, the third of this decade. San Diego, the Pacific Coast South champ, finished 33-3.
It took San Diego nearly four minutes to score after the break. San Francisco, meanwhile, got a pair of three's by Eddie Stansberry during that key run and led by as many as 13 points mid-way through the second half. CCSF could not put the Knights away, however, until the end. San Diego closed to within seven at 74-67 with 2:14 remaining on a putback by Darius Lee -- but could do no more serious damage.
Hayes was voted the tourney MVP for his all-around play, although not starting. The 6-6 sophomore forward from Chavez High School (Stockton) was the game's top rebounder with 12 (as CCSF ruled the boards, 47-43) and also had three blocked shots.
All-tourney selection Stansberry, a 6-3 sophomore guard from San Francisco's Archbishop Riordan High School, also had six rebounds. Terrell Brown, a 6-0 sophomore guard from Moreau Catholic (Hayward) was also an all-tourney choice and had ten points and three assists in the finale.
San Diego had a pair of all-tournament players:
Robert McCoy, a 6-7 sophomore guard from Eisenhower High School (Chicago), who had 21 points and eight rebounds, and Ethan Esposito, a 6-7 freshman forward from Naples, Italy, who had six points, five rebounds, two steals, and a block in the finale.
The first half was a close battle with six lead changes. San Diego led, 39-38, at the break. Stansberry had ten points and SDCC's Robert Taylor had eight (of his 13) to lead their teams at that point.
--CCSF was making a record 34th entry into the state tournament. Previous titles were in 2016, 2011, and 1962. This was the third championship for CCSF coach Justin Labaugh.