Pack Trending Up with Six-Game Win Streak

by Cerwin D Haynes

(thumbnail photo: @thrutheLensLA) 

When you're a high-profile program such as East LA College Men's Basketball, getting tripped up by an unranked opponent can be a substantial demerit when jockeying for state rankings. Fortunately, the Pack has seemed to have learned from their mistakes against Cerritos, and have rallied for six-straight wins. ELAC now sits at 7-2 overall, and has jumped seven(!) spots in the CCCMBCA State Poll from #22 to #15. 

Within their current win streak are several high-profile wins; perhaps the most impressive out of these is their big win at #5 Citrus College. Coming off a disappointing home loss to Cerritos a week prior on November 20, the Huskies trekked out to Glendora and squeezed out a 90-87 win against the Owls. The week after that matchup saw the Huskies sweep the Hypland Classic out at Riverside City College during the first weekend in December, beating Mt. San Jacinto, #8 San Bernardino Valley, and host school #26 Riverside in competitive contests. The Green then continued on the road with blowout victories at Grossmont College and West Hills Lemoore for wins number five and six on the streak.

Head coach John Mosley boasts a deep team of big wings that bring a variety of skills on the court, but it's his lead guards that provide the most steady hands in the season's early goings. The top two free-throw shooters in the state wear the Huskies' Green: Sophomore PGs Kamren Williams and team leading scorer Donjae Lindsey are one-two from the free-throw line; Williams shooting at a 95.2% clip from the stripe while Lindsey sinks his freebies at a 93.1% pace. It bodes well that the Huskies' best ballhandlers are also their best free-throw shooters.

Coach Mosley's offense works best when players move without the ball and get to their spots so passes can find them for high-percentage shot-opportunities. ELAC has begun to execute this better as the season moves on, and evidence of that can be found in the improved play of sophomore G/F Esteban Mann. He's notched a double-double against Mt. San Jacinto (18 pts, 14 rebounds) and scored an efficient 21 points (8-10 shooting) against SBVC. The wing has never been afraid to mix it up in the paint, but his improved physicality has allowed him to get shots up through contact.

HUSKY BITS

• ELAC earned mention in the latest South Coast Conference roundup.

UP NEXT:

The Pack will get some good practice time in between opening presents and enjoying holiday meals. Then they'll head down to the San Diego area for their annual trip to the Cuyamaca Classic in El Cajon, beginning Friday, January 27th.