Buzzer Beater Lifts Chico State to CCAA Tournament Championship Game - Mar 4, 2012
Chico State's Damario Sims hit the game-winning jumper as time expired in top-seeded Chico State's come-from-behind 76-74 victory over fourth-seeded Sonoma State in the California Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Basketball Tournament Semifinals on Friday afternoon at RIMAC Arena. CSUC advances to play No.3-seed Humboldt State Saturday at 5:00 p.m. for the CCAA Championship. HSU downed No. 2-seed Cal Poly Pomona 74-70 to earn a berth in the title game for the second consecutive season. CSUC, the CCAA regular season champions, improves to 24-6 on the year and will be making its first apperance in the CCAA Championship. SSU drops to 17-11 overall. Justin Herold handed the Seawolves a three-point lead on a break away alley-oop, but Amir Carraway tied the game 74-74 with a three pointer from the top of the key with 12 seconds remaining. SSU was able to beat CSUC's full-court press, but Steven Pratt ran into trouble in his offensive corner and had the ball stolen by Jay Flores with five seconds on the clock. Flores took a pair of dribbles before hurling a pass cross-court to Sims streaking up the left flank ahead of the defense. Sims stopped, popped, and hit a fade-away jumper from 19 feet out as the horn blared. For Sims, the Wildcats' leading scorer this season at 11.6 points per game, the basket marked just his second in eight attempts during the contest (2-for-8). CSUC led only one previous time in the second half and trailed by as much as nine with 4:23 left. Jordan Semple notched a double-double in the game, finishing with 17 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. Carraway matched a game-high with 19 points for CSUC, while Jason Conrad registered 11 points and six rebounds. For SSU, Pratt finished with 19 points and eight rebounds. Two other Seawolves, Justin Herold and Sterling Arterberry, scored in double figures with 18 points and 16 points, respectively. SSU shot 50.9-percent (29-for-57) from the field in comparison with CSUC's 39.7 (27-for-68) clip.
Courtesy of GoCCAA.org
CCAA Tournament Final: Chico State - Humboldt State 76-74 CCAA Tournament Semifinals: Humboldt State - Cal Poly Pomona 74-70 Chico State - Sonoma State 76-74
All-CCAA 1st Team 2011-2012
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Flores
Alexander
Anderson
Herold
Hunter
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Player of the Year:Jay Flores (6'0''-G-89) of Chico St. All-Tournament MVP:Randy Hunter (6'6''-F-90) of Humboldt St. Freshman of the Year:Jacari Whitfield (5'7''-G-93) of CS East Bay Newcomer of the Year:Justin Herold (6'7''-F) of Sonoma St. Coach of the Year:Greg Clink of Chico St.