Corey Kwok
(El Monte) – Mountain View hit eight free throws within the final 75 seconds of play to beat Arroyo 51-44 Wednesday night in MVL action at Vern Nelson Fieldhouse.
The Vikings staggered to a 12-6 lead after one quarter. Viking guard Eric Martinez (8 points, 7 rebounds) played phenomenal defense in the opening frame swatting away five passes and recording three steals.
Juan Benitez grabbed seven caroms and scored 10 points. Jonathan Sanchez joined him atop the View scoring column with 10.
The Knights battled back to take their only lead of the game at 33-32 on Mark Roche’s free throw 1:16 into the fourth. Roche (7 rebounds) led all scorers with a dozen points.
A 3 point play by Benitez and a Jeremy Acosta basket for a Mountain View was immediately matched by Arroyo on a pair of Efrain Carrillo free throws and a Roche bucket 20 seconds apart to even the score. The Vikings went ahead for good on a couple of Acosta layups below the basket.
Carrillo, (10 pts), kept the Knights in the game by sinking six straight freebies. Jeff Salazar (4 points, 2 steals) and both Martin Tran and Roche scored 4 each during the second frame.
The Knights were dealt a serious blow in the Mission Valley league playoff picture with the loss. They fell from third place down to fifth at 3-4 with two games left.
The Vikes advance one spot to third at 4-3, a game up on 4-3 Gabrielino in fourth. Rosemead, despite falling to Gabby, remains ahead of South El Monte at 5-2.
Mt View 12 11 9 19 – 51
Arroyo 6 16 10 12 – 44
MV – Benitez 10, Sanchez 10, Martinez 8, Acosta 8, Joe Angelo 7, Josh Ortega 4, Chris Duarte 4
A – Roche 12, Carrillo 10, Tran 8, Trenton Stewart 8, Salazar 4, Marco Monsivaiz 2
In other MVL news:
Gabrielino shrunk Rosemead’s MVL margin to a game by scoring a 56-49 win over the Panthers. Point guard Tyler Hoffman led the way with 3 steals, 5 assists, and 13 points. Nolan Tcheng added 11, and scooped up 8 rebounds as well. Josh Acosta was the last Eagle in double figures, chipping in 10 points and three steals.
South El Monte survived a nail biting 54-50 win over El Monte. The Lions led two touchdowns to one (14-7) after the first but the Southmen replied with an 18-5 run sustaining enough momentum to the last buzzer.
The MVL picture is as follows:
1. Rosemead 5-2 – RHS 63, SEM 39 result in previous meeting)
2. South El Monte 5-2
3. Mountain View 4-3 MVHS 71 GHS 70 result in previous meeting)
4. Gabrielino 4-3
5. Arroyo 3-4
6. El Monte 0-7
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