YUBA CITY, CA - Jesuit jumped out to an early 16-point lead and held on despite a late Rocklin rally to win the 53rd Mel Good Holiday Classic, 78-67, at Yuba City on Saturday night.
The lead grew as large as 22 points in the second quarter, and though Rocklin did get to within seven points in the fourth quarter, the Marauders sealed the game at the free-throw line.
All three of Jesuit’s players to earn All-Tournament Team honors factored in as the Marauders opened up the early lead. Dominic Wall’s dunk and 3-pointer made it 13-2 midway through the first quarter, Chris Simpson’s 3-pointer on a seeing-eye cross-court pass from Isaiah Rutherford stretched the lead to 20, and Darin Similai followed with a lay-in to make it 41-19, the largest lead Jesuit would hold on the night.
Rocklin (8-4) would get back in the game by outscoring Jesuit 12-6 for the rest of the second quarter and using an 11-0 run to cut the lead to 70-61 in the fourth, but the early Jesuit surge was too much for the Thunder to overcome.
Cory Gohl, another member of the All-Tournament Team, was instrumental in the Rocklin comeback. His four-point play with 6:12 remaining got the Thunder within 14, and another 3-pointer cut it to 70-61. After a Wall 3-pointer from the wing stopped the Rocklin run, Gohl sank a 25-footer to spark a 7-1 surge to cut the lead all the way to 74-67 with 1:42 left.
Gohl led all scorers with 25 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter. Darrius Kendall, who added 13, also made the All-Tournament Team.
Simpson, who led Jesuit (5-1) with 18 points, was named the Tournament MVP.
Rocklin will return to action Monday for a showdown with crosstown rival Whitney. Jesuit won’t be back in action until the 28th, when the Marauders open the Aptos Christmas Classic against Bentley.
