'Maqnifique'
Men's basketball: Mels' 28 points send Matadors into Big West Tournament final
Alonso Tacanga / Sports Editor
Published: Saturday, March 14, 2009 in the Daily Sundial
Anaheim -- Rodrigue Mels has learned from one of the best international basketball has to offer. Little-known to the public, the Matador played backyard ball with the Spurs' Tony Parker.
"We went to the same high school," Mels said.
Those years - probably spent getting torched by the All-Star point guard - have come full circle. On Friday night, it was Mels no one could stay in front of.
Mels, from Guadeloupe – which is French territory in the Lesser Antilles – wooed the Anaheim Convention Center with 28 points to fend off UC Santa Barbara, 67-60. The victory put the Matadors in the Big West Tournament final against Pacific (Saturday at 9:00 p.m.).
The winner will go to the NCAA Tournament.
Mels put on a show that would have even gotten Parker off his seat - had the 2007 NBA Finals MVP been in Anaheim instead of somewhere around Houston on assignment. The Matador scored 16 of his points in a second half which CSUN led from wire-to-wire. Actually, the Matadors trailed for only 22 seconds in the period before Mels made the 35-34 deficit disappear with a lay-up. He also made sure CSUN stayed ahead.
“We have our one international guy,” said CSUN Head Coach Bobby Braswell referring to Mels. “We’re going to try to find our players wherever they are.”
The Gauchos were hot coming into the night, having won eight of their previous nine games, including a 73-64 win over Cal State Fullerton on Thursday in the second round of the tournament. After Mels put CSUN ahead 52-45 with a 3-pointer, UCSB went on a 5-0 run to cut the Matador lead to two with 5:16 to play.
Mels responded with a jumper, then a steal that led to an intentional foul from James Nunnally and two made free throws. The next time around, he took his man off the dribble to the left, challenged a charging Gaucho by going under him and spun an attempt off the glass that was soft enough to be tipped in by Tony Osunsanmi. He then went back to the easy stuff, taking a pass from Kenny Daniels for a wide-open layup that stretched the Matadors lead to 60-50 with 2:50 to go.
“We flat-out couldn’t keep Rodrigue in front of us,” UCSB coach Bob Williams said
The game wasn't over and neither was the Mels show. The Gauchos had drawn within five again and the Matadors were looking to ice the game at the free-throw line. Mels was inbounding the ball under the Gaucho basket, but couldn’t find anyone open to pass to. The only thing clear of defense was UCSB’s Chris Devine’s back, which Mels used to bounce the ball back to himself and get a game-sealing dunk with 41 seconds to go.
“I had to find a way to score, so …” Mels said drawing laughter from the media.
CSUN shot 51 percent overall. UCSB made 41 percent of its attempts.
Somewhat lost in the Mels’ auditioning for Team France: Tremaine Townsend’s 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Townsend had to come out after picking up his fourth foul with 5:51 to go and the Matadors ahead by four. Coincidentally, Mels went on his game-deciding run while the forward was on the bench. Townsend came back with 2:10 to go. The Matadors led 60-52.
CSUN was able to survive 26 turnovers. Some of them were wacky and untimely. With 1:38 to go and with UC Santa Barbara just having hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to seven, Kenny Daniels (8 points) threw a pass to Mark Hill at the top of the key. The point guard went from stretching his hands to grab the pass to lowering them to break his fall as he slipped.
A janitor came out to sweep the floor. The only broom needed though, was the imaginary one CSUN used to finish the season 3-0 against the Gauchos. UCSB didn’t get within a possession in the last five minutes of the game.
“Magnifique,” Mels said.