Andre Fuller/Roundup
Moorpark College’s late game heroics helped surge them past Pierce College Wednesday in Woodland Hills, 72-69 in overtime.
After the blowout lose against the Brahmas, 81 -60, in early January, the Raiders and head coach Remy McCarthy found a way to redeem themselves.
“We didn’t get what we wanted last game,” said McCarthy.
Guards Kyle Olandt (went 3-3 in the three point attempts in the second half) and Matt Mazarei (made game-tying layup with 34.6 seconds left in the second half) helped contribute to the game-by-game turnaround for the Raiders.
“They [Pierce] blew us out,” said McCarthy. “But we didn’t panic, and that was critical.”
As the Raiders offense went cold in the middle of the second half, their defense stepped up late as Pierce went without a basket for two and a half minutes late in the second half.
Pierce guard Josh Thomas had the biggest problem with the Moorpark defense.
“It’s the zone that bothers me,” said Josh Thomas.
Nonetheless, Thomas turned it on late in the second half as he hit the go-ahead layup with 52.3 seconds left in the game.
“It was all about getting my head back into that game and trusting my skills,” said Thomas, who dominated late.
However, his efforts proved not to be enough as he missed a layup with 1.1 seconds left in the second half.
“These guys take a lot of charges,” said Thomas. “So I went with my instincts and took it to the hole, and it just didn’t’ go in.”
While the guard-play proved to be effective for Moorpark, it was forward Mike Meza’s play in the second half that was the essential key to Moorpark’s success.
Virtually non-existent in the first half, Meza season average of 19 points and five rebounds was met mostly in the second half.
“My shot was off [in the first half],” said Meza. “So I went to the rim. I was trying to let the game come to me.”
And it did.
With 1:40 left on the clock in overtime, guard Dallas Rutherford made a key baseline pass to a driving Meza.
Meza finished that play with a two-handed dunk over a Pierce defender that sent the Raiders bench into a frenzy.
“We needed that boost,” said Meza. “He [McCarthy] drew up the play, and I told myself I was going to make it.”
Meza’s play doesn’t come as a surprise to McCarthy.
“We knew when we got him that he was a nugget,” said McCarthy. “He has been doing this all year long.”