The Cerritos College men’s basketball team converted 9-of-12 free throws in the final 1:18 to hold off Mt. San Antonio College in a 69-61 South Coast Conference crossover game Friday night. The win evens the Falcons record at 10-10, while the Mounties dropped to 8-9. The team will play their third game in a row on the road on Wednesday, as they continue their crossover schedule with a 7:30 p.m. game at East Los Angeles.

    Freshman guard Wayne Chapman (Bellflower HS) netted 3-of-4 from the charity stripe in the final minute, while sophomore forward Travele Jones (Inglewood HS) rebounded from his struggles in the fist half and hit all five of his free throws in the second half.

    Leading most of the game, the Falcons slowly pulled away in the second half after playing to a 31-31 tie through the first 20 minutes. Leading the second half surge was sophomore guard Aaron Thompson (Washington Prep HS), who accounted for 14 of his game-high 29 points in the second half and made 13-of-17 shots on the night. He also led the team with 12 rebounds and dished out three assists.

    Cerritos did open up an 11-point lead (50-39) with 11:34 left in the second half and held off the Mounties, who outscored the Falcons, 13-6 over the next 6:10. But it was the play of Jones (15 points, nine rebounds, four blocks, four steals) and the free throw shooting that secured the win.

    Sophomore guard Jerell Elder (Long Beach Millikan HS) added five points, five rebounds, four assists, while sophomore guard Aaron King (Mayfair HS) accounted for eight points..