The Collegian

Issue date: 3/11/05 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Joseph Madar Klye Huggett spins around a Ram defender going for two of his 19 points in the Mustangs´ six-point victory.

They brought their cheerleaders. Their fans were there, too. But the one thing the San Francisco Rams forgot to pack before they traveled to Stockton was the toughness and the spirit needed to beat the black, white, and gold.

Kyle Hugget scored 19 and Chris Walker keyed a late run to help overcome the surging Rams 72-68 in a nail-biter at Blanchard Gym Saturday night, securing the Mustangs' first trip to the State Tournament championship game in San Diego since 2000.

All was not easy for the Mustangs, though, as it took several late-game heroics by Walker and a critical steal by Ajay Riding with less than four minutes to play to garner the victory in a physical match-up that featured plenty of aching legs, bruised elbows, and sore faces.

The Mustangs opened the game rather sluggishly, committing two early turnovers and falling behind 14-6 with 12:22 remaining in the first half. The Rams used their size gainfully early on, pounding the ball inside along the left baseline.

By the end of the first half, however, the Mustangs had closed the gap to a one-point deficit, 31-30.

Momentum became instrumental in the second half, as both teams struggled to capture the lead and build any sort of cushion. But then emerged Delta's Dynamo.

With the game deadlocked at 50-50 with 6:59 to play, Walker exploded with seven straight points, driving to the basket with a variety of powerful slashes. The nail might not have been secured in the Rams' coffin, but it appeared awfully close.

Following a heads-up steal, six-foot Ajay Riding was flagrantly fouled as he charged downcourt and attempted to lay in the basketball. Riding, visibly reeling from the intentional collision, collected his nerve and calmly sank two free-throws to give the Mustangs a five-point advantage with 3:29 to play. Jared Cozad, held scoreless in the first half, hit three late shots in the final 31 seconds to ice the game.

Walker finished with 16 points, after scoring 11 in the last 10 minutes. Teammates Roman Moniak and Sam Kirby both finished with nine points.

With their third round victory barely inscribed in the books, the Mustangs are already looking forward to their imminent championship showdown with College of the Desert at San Diego in the Jenny Craig Pavilion at 1 p.m.

"The competition is tougher," forward Kevin Bland acknowledged after the game. "We want to bring another banner home."

Forward Kevin Hasenfus emphasized the need to play physically: "[We need to] stay focused on the goal, and remember to play harder than the other team."

The Mustangs proved to be the tougher team, an accomplishment coach Brian Katz realized is significant if the Mustangs hope to corral the team's first state championship since 1984.

"We were the toughest team tonight-we wanted it more. You have to win without your 'A' game," Katz said.

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