It was close down to the final minute, but clutch free-throws boosted Pure Talent to a 61-55 victory over Net Zero in the San Quentin Intramural Basketball League.
“I knew Pure Talent was going to bring it through. We work better under pressure,” said guard Javonte Mathis.
Pure Talent led the game from the first half with the awesome performances of Maurice Gipson and Jamal Green.
They dominated the boards. Gipson had 16 points, 17 rebounds, 5 blocks and a steal. Green added 16 points, 18 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals and a block.
“Maurice was very effective,” said Pure Talent player/Coach F. “Dot.Comm” Hicks. “He had a great game.”
“My coach motivated me. He told me he needs me on the boards and to get back on defense,” said Maurice Gipson.
With 7:04 left on the clock, Pure Talent led by 11 after Altin Jefferson nailed a three, his only made shot of the game, making the score 48-37.
Net Zero’s Tommy Nellon kept his team within striking distance, battling Green and Gipson on the boards, racking up 15 rebounds, 14 points, 2 assists, 3 blocks and a steal.
With 2:25 until the final buzzer, (or duck call, for a prison game), Net Zero’s D. “Frog” DeWitt went to the rack and scored inside on several defenders.
Then teammate Johnathan “Cee” Cannon stole the ball and took it to the rack. He missed the layup, but DeWitt was there to clean it up, leaving Net Zero down 52-51 with 2:10 until the final buzzer.
Cannon stole the ball again and passed it to DeWitt, who went up but missed the layup with 1:52 left in the game. Dewitt finished with 15 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals and 1 assist. Cannon added 11 and 6 steals.
Gipson was fouled on the next play and hit both clutch free-throws, putting Pure Talent up 54-51.
Veteran Net Zero player Paul Oliver crashed the boards, grabbed a rebound and tipped it back in to keep the game in reach, 54-53.
With 1:11 left, both teams were in the bonus. A foul sent Hicks to the line where he made one of two.
Then Pure Talent turned up the defense to build on its 55-53 lead.
Mathis stole the ball from a Net Zero guard and was fouled. He made one free throw, leaving his team up three. Mathis finished with 13 points.
Then Hicks stole the ball and dished it to Green for a floater, making the score 58-53. With time running out, Net Zero stopped the clock by fouling and Pure Talent increased the lead from the free throw line.
Hicks led the league in scoring from May 3 – June 21 with an average of 21.75 points per game. Allen McIntosh replaced Hicks as the league high-scoring front-runner at 22.8 point per game as of the week of June 27.
Hicks played a different role in this game. He contributed 8 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and a block from the guard position.
“It’s all about my team. We have to get in there and make effective shots and rebound; that’s been our focus,” said Hicks. “What gets us a win is getting the whole team involved.”
