SBVC secures another trip to the Elite Eight
Chine Nwanevu is here to prove San Bernardino Valley College men’s basketball isn’t a one-player show.
Nwanevu had a teamhigh 14 points and 11 rebounds as SBVC defeated Pasadena City College 6358 to win one of the California Community College Athletic Association regional championship games Saturday night.
“Everybody knows (Dominique Daniels) is a great player, he’s an amazing player, but we have a lot of amazing players so when they lock in on him, the key in on him, then we know the next man has to step up,” said Nwanevu, who added two assists, two steals and one block.
Daniels had 13 points, and Armon Muldrew added 12 as San Bernardino Valley (27-3) struggled from 3-point range (6 of 23) but dominated the boards with 15 offensive rebounds and 20 secondchance points.
“It came down to the fact that me and my guys, we didn’t want to lose,” Daniels said. “We just had to grind it out and get the ‘W’.”
With the win, the Wolverines advance to the CCCAA Elite Eight, which starts Thursday at West Hills College in Lemoore.
“This is what we work to do,” Nwanevu said. “Feels good for sure but we have more work to do, three more.”
It’s the second consecutive Elite Eight appearance for SBVC and the sixth trip to the state finals in Brewer’s 15 seasons.
“We have a hunger to get back to the state tournament,” SBVC coach Quincy Brewer said.
Muldrew sank the first field-goal attempt of the game for a 3-0 start and SBVC jumped out to a 2414 lead before Pasadena woke up.
Daniels, the two-time Inland Empire Athletic Conference player of the year, struggled against rugged one-on-one defending and Pasadena’s zone collapsed every time he ran the lane.
“When that happens I try to get my teammates going and it made a difference down the stretch,” said Daniels, who had a gamehigh five assists.
Pasadena City (22-8) tied the game on a putback dunk by Nigel Wilson with 3:45 remaining in the first half, but Muldrew helped SBVC limp into halftime with a 29-28 lead on a fastbreak layup and a 3-pointer.
In the first of 11 lead changes in the second half, the Lancers led 30-29 on Jonathan Tchengang’s jumper at the top of the key.
“We knew we were going to stop (Daniels) or (Muldrew) from scoring but it’s about whether or not we can limit that and make other people beat us,” Pasadena City coach Ryan Frazier said.
Nwanevu and Aamari Smith got back-to-back buckets for SBVC, and Duwon Franklin made the most of his 12 minutes with four rebounds and a steal and dunk for a 42-39 lead.
“It just illustrates that our team is not a oneman show,” Brewer said. “(Franklin) got some crucial rebounds for us at both ends of the floor.”
Pasadena got hot from 3-point range and briefly held a 56-53 advantage but SBVC did not shrink under the pressure and Smith, Nwanevu and Daniels were a combined 6 for 6 from the free-throw line in the final minute to give the Wolverines their 16th consecutive victory on the season.