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The Cerritos
College men's basketball team found the perfect time
to snap their seven-game losing streak. The Falcons
opened South Coast Conference South Division play at
Los Angeles Southwest College on Friday night with a
68-64 victory. The win improved their season mark to
5-12, while they are 1-0 in the division, with the
Cougars dropping to 7-13 and 0-1. The Falcons will
now return home to host El Camino College at 7:30
p.m. on Wednesday.
Throughout the
game, Cerritos led the way, but had their hands full
at times due to some ill-timed turnovers and streaky
shooting by LASW. But freshman forward
Marcellus
Jackson (Independence HS) was
not to be outdone by anyone on the night, as he
turned in his best performance of the season.
Through the first 12 minutes of the game, Jackson
had 10 rebounds before settling on 15 at
intermission. By the time he fouled out with 2.4
seconds left in the game, Jackson finished with a
career-high 20 rebounds, while he also made 8-of-13
shots and led the team with 18 points. Nine of his
rebounds came on the offensive end and he also
blocked two shots along the way.
Down 24-21 in the
first half with 9:20 remaining, the Falcons received
a pair of baskets from sophomore guard
Jeremiah
Barnes (Los Altos HS) before a
running jumper by freshman guard
Jeremy Pope
(Mayfair HS) gave the team a 30-28 lead
they would not relinquish the remainder of the game.
Leading 47-42 in
the second half, a pair of steals and baskets, along
with a follow-up dunk by Jackson pushed the lead to
53-42, the largest of the night. Pope scored off the
first steal, before sophomore guard
Van Girard
(Gahr HS) picked off a pass and went the
distance for the second basket in a row. The Cougars
did get to within one 60-59 with 2:23 left, but a
Jackson bucket, along with a pair of free throws by
Girard and freshman guard
Brian
Barner (Palisades HS) closed
out the win.
Sophomore guard
Gregory Preer (St. Vincent St. Mary
(OH) HS/Ashland (OH) University) had a superb
game off the bench, as he pumped in 16 points and
pulled down 12 rebounds, while Barner ended with 10
points. Girard (eight points, eight rebounds),
Barnes (six rebounds) and freshman guard
Sean
Chennault (Ben Franklin (PA) HS),
who accounted for six points and seven rebounds off
the bench, also had good games.
The Falcons
outrebounded the Cougars, 56-42. Leading the way for
LASW was Marsellus Gray (14 points), while Kendrick
Harris (12 points, seven rebounds, five assists) and
Chris Jackson (12 points) also scored in
double-figures.
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