NAIA DISTRICT 3 BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS : Scruggs, Moore Lead SCC Into National Tournament

WHITTIER —  Southern California College was preparing for another second-place finish in the NAIA District 3 basketball tournament, but Terry Scruggs and Bryan Moore had other ideas.

Scruggs and Moore sparked a 29-4 run late in the second half and the Vanguards defeated Christian Heritage, 90-77, in the National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics District 3 championship game at Whittier College.

With the victory, the Vanguards (25-8) qualified for the NAIA national tournament March 13-19 in Kansas City, Mo., the first national tournament berth in the school’s history.

But midway through the second half, SCC appeared headed for its fourth district runner-up plaque in the past nine years. The Vanguards trailed Christian Heritage, 62-53, with 11 minutes 30 seconds left.

Then Scruggs and Moore took over.

Scruggs scored 15 of his 22 points and Moore, a reserve averaging six points a game, had 11 of his 19 in the next 9:28. Scruggs’ two free throws with 1:59 remaining gave the Vanguards an 82-66 lead.

“Terry floundered a little bit in the first half,” SCC Coach Bill Reynolds said. “But once he gets going, he can light it up with anyone at any level.

“And Bryan came off the bench and gave us a big lift. He can sky with anyone out there.”

Moore and the Vanguards were grounded early. After building a 6-0 lead one minute into the game, they watched Christian Heritage make five consecutive three-pointers in a 17-0 run.

“I knew Christian Heritage was a streaky team, just like us,” Reynolds said. “I told the kids to hang in there and play containment defense. I knew Christian Heritage would get tired and start missing.”

He was right. Christian Heritage made only 15 of 37 shots in the second half.

Meanwhile, the Vanguards made 63% of their shots from the field and were 29 of 44 from the free-throw line. Christian Heritage made only one of three free-throws in the second half.

“They hit a lot of free throws at the end,” Christian Heritage co-coach Ray Slagle said. “We expected to do two things coming in--not get in foul trouble and establish a transition game. But we got in foul trouble in the second half.”

Brad Soucie, a transfer from Eastern Michigan, scored a game-high 27 points to lead Christian Heritage. John Mounce led SCC with 25 points.

Christian Heritage (29-6) will play host to The Master’s College Saturday in the first round of the National Christian College Athletic Assn. tournament. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals March 15-17 in Chattanooga, Tenn.