HUSKIES GOING TO STATE

by Mario Villegas

@marviljr

Emerging with an intense 99-91 overtime victory over L.A. Harbor College, ELAC won the right to advance to the California Community College Athletic Association state championship tournament in Lemoore.

The Huskies, who are 26-3 and the two seed from Southern California, will play San Jose City College (26-4), the two seed from Northern California, at 1 pm Thursday at West Hills Lemoore College.

ELAC last qualified for state in 2020, but will make its first appearance since the 2016-17 season. The CCCAA suspended the 2020 season the day before the state tournament because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Huskies at the time were 29-1 and riding a 25-game winning streak. They boarded their vans brimming with confidence, and with the Last Chance U production crew capturing their movements and prepared to work on location, when word came down from Sacramento that intercollegiate athletics were suspended.

"We've made it to state for the first time since 2020 and I'm excited for our players," said Coach John Mosley, who has now guided five teams to state in his 11 seasons at ELAC.

Thursday's game between ELAC and San Jose will be the first men's game of the state tournament which consists of the top four teams from Southern California and the top four from Northern California. The semifinal games are Saturday and the championship game is on Sunday, and will also be played in Lemoore, which is 33 miles south of Fresno in the San Joaquin Valley.

Besides Harbor, the Huskies, who have won 11 straight games, also defeated Riverside, 94-77 in a second-round game.

San Jose won the Coast-South Conference championship and won its ticket to the state tournament by defeating Chabot, 82-68 in the semifinals, and Fresno, 79-76 in the second round of the Northern California regional playoffs.

The Jaguars are riding a 10-game winning streak and are 48-10 over the last two seasons.

Guard-forward Gavin Wilburn has helped lead the way. The 6-3 sophomore is averaging 12. 3 points and 10. 9 rebounds per game. Forward Jerry Jackson, a 6-3 sophomore, averages 11.9 points per game and guard Mison Coilton, a sophomore who is 6-3 and 245 pounds, averages 11.2 points per game.

ELAC received a stellar game from forward J.T. Langston in the win over Harbor last Saturday before a capacity crowd in the Huskies' 'E-rena.' The sophomore from Pasadena and San Gabriel Academy product scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and blocked five shots. He made seven of 11 shots from the floor and converted eight of 10 free throw attempts.

Guard Noel Scott also delivered a memorable performance. The sophomore from Washington Prep scored 18 points to go with seven rebounds, three assists and four steals. Corey Cofield played through injury to score 15 points and Gregory Melvin came off the bench to score 11 points and get six rebounds. Jon Sanders contributed nine points, five rebounds and six assists. Donjae Lindsey also scored nine points and had four rebounds and three assists. Tyrelle Hunt added eight points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals.

ELAC took an early lead and led the entire first half, leading by as many as 10 points four different times in the first half. But a layup by Louis Walker and a buzzer-beating jumper by Demetrius Douglas pulled the Seahawks to within 42-37 at halftime.

In the second half, Harbor caught up on a 3-pointer by Tyler Mapp and a layup by Douglas to tie the score, 42-42, and would go ahead, 55-52 as the intense atmosphere continued to grow even higher.

It didn't take long for ELAC to battle back and go up 72-63 with 5:53 left as Langston converted six free throw attempts and Melvin made a layup.

Back came the Seahawks with a 19-6 run capped by Walker's 3-pointer that left the Huskies facing a precarious 82-78 deficit with only 51 seconds left in regulation.

Sanders converted a three-point play to get the Huskies closer and Lindsey made the first of two free throws to tie the score with six seconds left.

Tenacious defense by Scott forced Douglas to step out of bounds and deny the Seahawks a chance to counter.

Sanders swished a 3-pointer to open the overtime scoring, The Huskies led by as many as seven points on baskets by Cofield and free throws by Lindsey, but were holding only a 93-91 lead with a minute remaining. Scott stepped up again, converting four free throw attempts and Lindsey added two more free throws to close out the game.

"It was an amazing game," Mosley said. "We thought we had separation, but Harbor is a great team and they kept fighting back, so hats off to them. Fortunately, we made some great plays and made some free throws down the stretch to pull it out."

ELAC, the North Division winner, avenged an earlier season loss to Harbor, the South winner, when the South Coast Conference teams met Jan. 11 at Harbor. The Seahawks, who were the six seed in Southern California, finished the season 25-5, received a game-high 27 points from Douglas and 19 points from Walker.