Basketball Week Roundup: Huskies go 3-0

by Cerwin D Haynes

This week saw both ELAC basketball teams enter conference play, with both coaches Mosley and Turner hoping the hours spent on the road in November and December have forged the right mix of cohesiveness and mental toughness in their respective squads to power through the rest of the regular season and hopefully bring home another pair of conference champion banners to Monterey Park. 

Both teams spent the week on the road with games at Rio Hondo and LA Trade Tech. Here's how they fared:

MEN

• 1/19: ELAC at Rio Hondo POSTPONED.

  • This game was postponed due to Covid protocols. Make-up date TBD.

• 1/21: ELAC 74, Trade Tech 65

  • The Huskies trailed the one-win Beavers 36-32 at halftime thanks in part to 16 first-half turnovers. The Pack would return the favor in the second half, forcing Trade into 15 turnovers during the latter 20 minutes while shooting over 51% from the field in that timeframe. Center Bryan Penn-Johnson came off the bench to score 23 points and grab 12 rebounds - both game highs - as the Husky guards continuously found him open around the basket for a mix of lay-ins, dunks and alley-oops in the second half. ELAC also enjoyed a whopping 30-rebound advantage over the host Beavers.

WOMEN

• 1/19: ELAC 72, Rio Hondo 50

  • Coming off a three-week layoff due to Covid protocols, the Huskies were finally cleared to take the court in Whittier. After trailing the Roadrunners by one point after the first quarter, East LA dug their paws in, outscoring Rio 40-20 in the second and third quarters en route to the 22-point victory. Timely three-point shooting (45%), a decided rebound advantage (54-39) and 19 assists on 27 made field goals were the keys to the win. Naomi Winston-Ellis led all scorers with 22 points, 4-8 from downtown with six rebounds, five assists and four steals. Delilah Kimble-Gray scored 18 points on 7-8 shooting with six rebounds and four assists. Destyni Heard chipped in 12 points with nine rebounds and five assists.

• 1/21: ELAC 56, Trade Tech 46

  • Engaged in a nip-in-tuck game with the host Beavers, the Huskies clung onto a five-point lead when lead guard Kimble-Gray hit two daggers with under two minutes to play. First, a three-pointer from the wing with 1:37 left to give ELAC an eight-point lead. After two Tech misses down on the other end, Kimble-Gray scored a driving layup with 53 seconds left for the final score and margin.

UP NEXT:

• The men have a week to prepare for their visit to Pasadena City College to face the Lancers on January 28 at 5pm.
• The women have a make-up game at home versus West LA on Wednesday the 26th, 5pm. Then the Huskies will face the Lancers in Pasadena next Friday at 7pm.