NORWALK – Akeives Shorts scored a game-high 26 points, including the final two, to help lead Porterville College to a 65-62 come-from-behind win at Cerritos College on Tuesday night.
The non-conference victory evened up the Pirates' overall record at 3-3.
Porterville was up 29-22 at halftime but saw that advantage dwindle in the second. The two squads exchanged leads multiple times over the final minutes. But with just 1:01 remaining in regulation, the Pirates trailed 62-61.
But down the stretch, PC scored the contest's final four points. Raven Ortiz came up with a huge steal and came back down the court for a layup that would put Porterville ahead for good at 63=62 with 19 seconds left.
That was followed by another steal by Shorts on Cerritos' inbounds play. He was fouled on his way to the hoop before he calmly sank two free throws to extend the PC lead to three points. The Falcons missed a pair of three-pointers over the final moments and the Pirates were able to hang on for the win.
Shorts added 5 assists, 2 steals, and 2 rebounds to his impressive evening. DeMarcus Allen added 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals while Owen Patterson and Justin Sabater both had 9 points each.
Porterville returns to action on Thursday (Nov. 30) when it opens play at the three-day Monterey Bay Classic, hosted by Monterey Peninsula College. The Pirates are set to take on Hartnell College at 7 p.m.
