Monterey Park, Calif. – In a highly anticipated and evenly matched South Coast Conference North Division showdown, the No. 3 ranked Mt. SAC Men's Basketball Team was edged out, 70-67, by the No. 8 ranked East Los Angeles College on Wednesday, February 5. With this as only their second loss of the season, the Mounties fall to 21-2, while the Huskies improve to 20-2. The Huskies continue their hot streak with this marking their 18th win in a row.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The game started off slow, with both teams struggling to find their rhythm. Daniel Michelini-Jackson sunk a three-pointer for the Huskies nearly three minutes into play. It took another two minutes before Marvel Chambers responded with a layup to put the Mounties on the board. The first half remained a low-scoring, defensive battle, with both teams exchanging blows but neither able to pull away. Ryan Wheeler energized Mt. SAC with eight first-half points, including three exciting dunks in a three-minute span. Michelini-Jackson matched Wheeler's efforts with eight points of his own for ELAC, five of which came from the free-throw line. Despite trailing the entire half, the Mounties kept pace, entering halftime down just one, 28-27.
The intensity increased in the second half as both teams traded leads and the score remaining tight throughout. Chambers gave the Mounties their first lead of the night with a layup three and a half minutes into the half. But the Huskies quickly responded, tying the game with a free throw from Terrence Hampton. A three-pointer from Kenneth Brown and layups from Joel Gado and Chambers pushed the Mounties to their largest lead of the night at six points. However, ELAC fought back, with Donjae Lindsey hitting a clutch jump shot and Zyier Beverly adding a layup to retake the lead.
The Mounties trailed the Huskies by just a few points but were unable to close the gap. With just ten seconds left, Immanuel Taylor had a chance to tie the game at the free-throw line but converted only one of his two shots. Lindsey sealed the game for the Huskies sinking both free throws after being fouled with three seconds remaining, concluding a hard-fought 70-67 victory for ELAC.
In the end, the Mounties only made 46.4% of their free throws, a factor that proved decisive in the narrow loss. It is also worth noting that Mt. SAC standout Jaidyn Simpson was not in the lineup. The Mounties will have a chance to even the series with the Huskies when they host ELAC for their final home game of the regular season on Friday, February 21, at 7:00 PM.
BY THE NUMBERS:
- Kenneth Brown (Mt. SAC): Team-high 16 points, 2 assists, 1 block
- Ryan Wheeler (Mt. SAC): 13 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
- Immanuel Taylor (Mt. SAC) 5 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 7 steals
- Donjae Lindsey (ELAC): Game-high 18 points, 2 steals, 1 block
- Daniel Michelini-Jackson (ELAC): 16 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal
- Terrence Hampton (ELAC): 10 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assist
NEXT UP:
The Mounties will look to bounce back when they host Rio Hondo (1-22) on Friday, February 7 at 7:00 PM.
STAY CONNECTED:
Follow Mt. SAC Men's Basketball on twitter @MtSAC_MBKB or Instagram /mt.sacbasketball/
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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.