Huskies open tourney with 97-63 win
SAN DIEGO, CA — The state’s No. 4-ranked (Massy CCCAA Poll) East Los Angeles College men’s basketball team opened Holiday Inn Tournament play with a 97-63 win against host San Diego Mesa College.
ELAC, 9-2 overall, moves on to the tournament semifinals, but faces a rough road to win the tournament title.
The Huskies play one of its toughest tests of the year against No. 9 Cypress College (11-2), who has won five-consecutive games, tomorrow at 4 p.m. in the Mesa gym.
Against Mesa, all of the Huskies played and five scored in double figures. Sophomore guards Miles Ford (Alhambra High School) and Izaihaih Sweeny (Compton HS) scored 14 and 11 points respectively. Sophomore forward Richard Bivens (Ridgecrest HS) scored 12 points.
Adding double figures from the bench were guards, freshman Jarrell Tate (Birmingham, AL Wenonah HS) who scored 13 points and sophomore Sequan Walker (Long Beach Cabrillo HS) who totaled 12 points.
Mesa freshman guard DeJuan Owens (Chula Vista Bonita HS) led all scorers with 24 points. Bivens hauled in six rebounds, the most in the game of any player.
The Huskies, who rank in the three-point-percentage-ratio top-10 in the state, connected on 11 three-point shots. ELAC freshman guard Walker connected on a season best four three-point baskets.
Ford also hit 4-of-5 three-pointers. It was the third game this season Ford scored four shots from beyond the arc.
ELAC’s unselfish ball playing resulted 24 assists to 11 from Mesa. Walker led the Huskies with six assists.
The Huskies had six blocked shots including four from the bench, one each from freshmen guards Jesus Zesati (St. John Bosco HS) and Ryan Henry (Los Osos HS) and also sophomore forward Arinze Anakwenze (John Muir HS) and Walker as well as one each from starting forwards Bivens and freshman Chima Wami (Santiago HS).
ELAC connected on 80 percent from the charity stripe.
Perfect from the line included freshman guard Chandler Redix (Cathedral HS) who hit 2-of-2 free throws, Henry (4-of-4), Ford (2-of-2) and Tate (1-of-1).
The other championship semifinal game tomorrow pits Grossmont College (9-4) against West Hills Coalinga College (6-4) at 6 p.m.
story submitted by Tadzio Garcia