Bandits squeak by Stuff

Steve Addy

Monday, April 10, 2000 | 9:17 a.m.

Point guard Michael Johnson was wearing the hero's wreath for the Silver Bandits until he fouled out, but that was all right. It fit just as nicely on the guy who replaced him.

Johnson scored 13 of his career-high 15 points after halftime, including a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime, and his replacement Isaac Burton hit two free throws with three seconds left to hand the Bandits a 110-109 victory over the East-leading Cincinnati Stuff on Sunday night.

The victory before an announced 1,289 at the Thomas & Mack Center halted the Bandits' three-game losing skid with seven games remaining in the 64-game IBL season. They aren't really playing for anything, because at 33-24, they are certain to play New Mexico in the first West playoff round, but who wants to enter the postseason on a downer?

"We want our confidence to be up going into the playoffs," Bandits coach Rolland Todd said. "This was our worst losing streak in quite a while."

It ended because the Bandits erased an 11-point deficit in the final 5:09 of regulation. Johnson scored nine points in a 25-14 closing run, converting a three-point play early in the spurt, and adding two 3-pointers at the end. His 3-pointer with 21.9 seconds left lifted the Bandits within 95-93 and his triple from the top with 3.7 seconds left made it 98-98.

"I saw an open shot," said Johnson, a Rancho High product. "I think (Cincinnati) didn't expect I would be the guy to shoot it."

J.R. Henderson, whose 32 points led the Bandits, could have won it in regulation after he swiped Cincinnati's inbounds pass, but his off-balance 5-footer at the buzzer was no good.

In overtime, Johnson again shined. His 12-footer broke a 104-104 with 1:26 to play, then he made a nifty steal of an inbounds pass, with the possession producing two DeeAndre Hulett free throws for a 108-104 Bandits lead.

Cincinnati's Tremaine Fowlkes trimmed the lead in half with two free throws, then point guard Roderick Blakeney stole the inbounds pass. Blakeney, who led Cincinnati (37-17) with 26 points, made a driving 10-footer and was fouled by Johnson. After Johnson exited with his sixth foul, Blakeney hit the free throw for a 109-108 Cincy lead.

But the Bandits got a big break on their last possession. Burton, the starter who re-entered for Johnson, was fouled clumsily by Alex Sanders on a 3-point attempt with 3.4 seconds to go. Burton bricked the first free throw, but swished the next two.