The visiting Christian Sports Ministry’s Green Team fouled away a one-point lead with 20 seconds left in regulation, losing to the San Quentin Warriors 105-104.
“Whether we won by one or lost by one, it was a great game,” said Ari Warmerdam, who says he played for U.C. Davis back in 2007. This was his first time playing against incarcerated Americans.
With 24 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Green Team point guard David Liss grabbed a long rebound and passed to teammate Chris Blees, who Euro-stepped to the basket for a layup and a 104-103 lead.
“Play hard. They are grown men, and we haven’t won in two months and I’m (upset),” said Blees pre-game to 15 teammates huddled around him. He coached in the absence of Bill Epling. Blees didn’t put himself into the game until the fourth quarter, where he scored 13 points.
Warrior Anthony “Ant” Ammons was bringing the ball down court when someone on the Green Team bench yelled, “Foul him!” Tejas Gala complied, wrapping up Ammons.
“I think it was a good foul because it stopped the clock and gave them a chance to get the ball back and control the game,” said Warriors Coach Daniel “Bear” Wright.
From the line, Ammons missed the first shot, but the referee called a violation because a Green Team player yelled, “Hold up!” Ammons used the second chance well; he hit the next attempt and the additional free throw, giving the Warriors a 105-104 lead, with 20 seconds remaining.
The ball went in to Green Team hot man Warmerdam, who had nailed seven treys. He forsook the long-range shot and dribbled towards the basket, where Smith and another Warriors defender collapsed, causing Warmedam to fumble the ball as time ran out.
Warmerdam had 33 points.
“He’s was tough – one of the best players I’ve seen come in here in a minute,” said Harry “ATL” Smith. “I started to play him for the shot, but I saw he was capable of driving and closed when he made his move. It was a luckily defensive gamble.”
Liss said, “I thought we had them, but we couldn’t get a shot off.”
Ammons led the Warriors’ big three with 30 points and 14 rebounds, including making a three-pointer at the buzzer to close out the second quarter.
“Ant is the heart of this team. Without him, we wouldn’t be successful,” said Warrior Smith.
Smith added 29 points with 11 rebounds and five steals, including making a layup with the arms of a defender wrapped around his.
“He’s a beast,” said teammate Allan McIntosh about Smith.
McIntosh added 28 points.
“For 20 seconds we played good defense; the other 47 minutes and 40 seconds, we didn’t, but I’ll take the win,” said Wright.
“I missed Jason Jones. He’s huge for me as a ball hander,” Wright said about his point guard who missed the game because he was mentoring at-risk youth as part of the SQUIRES program.
Patrick Lacey recruited another Claremont- McKenna teammate, Kevin Sullivan, who managed to block a Smith layup attempt.
Lacey also recruited Liss, who played against him in college. Liss finished with 12 points, two rebounds, five assists and four steals.
“It hurts to admit it, but they’re good people,” Liss said about his former college basketball rivals.
Remy Pinson added 12 points, with two rebounds, two assists and a steal.
“Thank you for beating us again,” joked Blees after the close game.