Clovers go cold in 2nd quarter, fall to Bulldogs

By TIM TUTTLE

For the Banner Graphic

CLOVERDALE--Cloverdale couldn't overcome a cold-shooting second quarter Friday, falling to Monrovia, 63-51, in a West Central Conference boys' basketball game on the Clovers' court.

Cloverdale (2-4, 0-2 WCC) out-scored the Bulldogs (3-1, 2-0 WCC) 33-27 in the second half. The Clovers trailed 16-12 after the first period and Monrovia's 20-6 advantage in the second quarter sent them into halftime trailing 36-18.

Cloverdale made only 2-of-10 field goal attempts and were 0-of-4 on 3-pointers in the second period. Monrovia connected on 8-of-13 field goal attempts including 4-of-7 3-pointers in the second period.

Monrovia opened with a man-to-man defense, but without a starter taller than 6-foot-1 Zach Sowers, Mitch Williams, Cloverdale's 6-foot-9 center, scored six points and five rebounds in the opening period.

He also helped open things up for 6-foot-1 teammate Josh Burdette, who also scored six in the first quarter.

The Bulldogs shifted into a zone, sagging and double teaming Williams and leaving openings on the perimeter for the other Clovers. They weren't able to take advantage of them. Williams took only two more shots, made one, and finished with eight points.

"Monrovia has a fine ball club and you can tell they have put in the time shooting," Cloverdale coach Pat Rady said. "They shoot the ball well and that takes a lot of practice. They showed us we have a lot of work to do. I think it's pretty obvious we're not a good outside shooting team at this time, but we'll work on it to improve."

Chuck Strunk, who led the Clovers with 15 points, sparked a second-half rally at the beginning of the third period. The 6-foot-1 junior scored Cloverdale's initial seven points and Jordan Hayden's 15-foot jumper concluded a 9-2 run to cut Monrovia's lead to 38-27.

The game went back-and-forth from there, each team making mini-runs. Joe Fidler's basket inside to open the fourth quarter got the Clovers inside double digits, trailing 48-39.

Williams' 15-foot jump shot and Burdette's lay-up cut the Clovers' deficit to eight, 51-43, with five minutes remaining.

Cloverdale trailed by eight twice more, the final time at 57-49 on Strunk's offensive rebound and basket with 1:57 remaining.

Monrovia put the game away on two free throws by Grant Benefiel at 1:44 and, after a couple of missed shots by the Clovers, Austin Sichting's conventional three-point play for a 62-49 lead at 56.7.

Strunk was 6-of-10 from the field, 0-of-3 on 3-pointers, and 3-of-3 at the free throw line. He also had five rebounds.

Cloverdale made only 1-of-13 3-point attempts. Monrovia was 6-of-22 on 3-pointers.

At Cloverdale

Monrovia 16 20 12 15 -- 63

Cloverdale 12 6 19 14 -- 51

MONROVIA (3-1, 2-0 WCC)

Benefiel 9-19 2-2 23, Michel 4-7 2-5 10, Sowers 2-8 -2 5, Sichting 2-3 1-1 5, McCleerey 4-12 2-2 12, Fite 1-5 0-0 2, Gray 1-2 1-2 4, Bolton 1-2 0-0 2, Totals 24-58 6-22 63.

CLOVERDALE (2-4, 0-2 WCC).

Fidler 3-6 3-4 9, Burdette 4-12 0-0 8, Williams 4-9 0-5 8, Strunk 6-10 3-3 15, Hayden 3-11 0-0 7, Scisney 1-4 0-0 2, Arnold 0-0 0-0 0, Skiles 1-2 0-0 2, Pfaff 0-0 0-0 0, Totals 22-54 6-12 51.

3-point field goals -- Mon 6-22 (Benefiel 3-11, McCleerey 2-7, Gray 1-2, Sowers 0-1, Fite 0-1), Clov 1-13 (Hayden 1-6, Burdette 0-3, Strunk 0-3, Skiles 0-1).

Rebounds -- Mon 34 (Benefiel 7, Michel 6, Sowers 6), Clov 33 (Williams 6, Fidler 6, Strunk 5).

Turnovers -- Mon 12, Clov 16.

Total fouls -- Mon 15, Clov 15.

Fouled out -- Sichting, Scisney.