East LA Opens up Conference Play with Statement Win

by Cerwin D Haynes

(thumbnail courtesy of Sam Huff samuelhuff.smugmug.com/)

East LA Men's Basketball endured a shaky week leading up to the start of SCC-North conference play. A week ago, they had their 11-game win streak snapped at #11-ranked LA Harbor. They managed to recover enough to beat Compton two days later, but not quite in the kind of dominant fashion one would expect facing a 3-win team at this point in the season. The #6-ranked Huskies would need to resharpen their focus if they are going to achieve what most are expecting: another dominant run to the conference title.

Opening tonight at long-time nemesis Mt. San Antonio College, ELAC regained their dominant swagger. Boosted by the return of sophomore F JT Langston, the Huskies (16-3, 1-0) put down the Mounties 93-61 (9-11, 0-1).

Langston missed the last four games with an undisclosed injury. Normally a starter, head coach John Mosley chose to reintegrate the springy soph from off the bench, giving big F Christian Oliver his fifth-straight start. With the Mounties taking an early 7-4 lead, Mosley inserted Langston into the game at the 16:26 mark during the first half. Within the next four-plus minutes, ELAC would enjoy a nine-point swing, taking a 16-10 lead on a Donjae Lindsey jumper (Langston scored five points along with a steal in that time). Mt. SAC would answer, drawing within two at 10:23 left in the half on a Matthew Brown three-ball, 17-15. But the Huskies hit back with a 12-3 surge over the next 4:19, capped by a pair of Jon Sanders free throws to take a 29-18 lead. The Mounties would trim the East lead to seven, 31-24, thanks to four straight points by G Jay Milner with 4:01 to go in the half.  

That's as close as Mt. SAC would ever get.

ELAC closed the period on a 13-3 surge to go into time with a 44-27 lead. The Green would keep the Mounties at arm's length in the second half until a 14-0 run halfway through the half turned a 15 point lead into a 29-point advantage, essentially put the game away.

Langston played 15 impactful minutes, tallying 17 points (6-9 FGs, 5-7 FTs) and five rebounds in his triumphant return. But it was sophomore G Demetrius Calip who led all scorers with a season-high 24 points on 9-13 shooting, including a sizzling 5-8 from three-point land. He also had six boards.

HUSKY BITS

• ELAC shot 55.7% from the field and 7-16 (43.8%) from three. They had 18 assists on 34 made baskets against 11 turnovers, a substantial turnaround from their offensive execution of the previous week.
• The Huskies bench outscored the Mounties' reserves 66-8.
• Freshman F Gregory Melvin was nearly perfect from the field (7-8 FGs, 1-1 3PTs), scoring 15 points while pulling down five rebounds in 17 minutes of play.

UP NEXT:

The Huskies will return home Friday to play the first of a four-game homestand, welcoming the Roadrunners of Rio Hondo College. Gametime at 7pm (or 20 minutes after the conclusion of the women's game, whichever is later).