After losing three of four games late in January, the Pasadena City College men's basketball team has steadied its ship and earned two straight wins, including Monday's 86-74 triumph over Long Beach CC at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium.
The Lancers (13-9 overall) won the South Coast Conference crossover (does not count toward SCC North Division standings) with contributions throughout the roster.
Against LBCC (5-16), state assists leader Jalen Vazquez scored a team-best 16 points, adding seven rebounds, four steals and four helpers. Vazquez is averaging 8.1 assists, still on pace to break PCC's single-season assists average (7.9) and his current 347 career assists has him chasing Corey Caston's Lancers record of 398 in 2007-2009.
When the sophomore point guard drove to a layup with 3:28 left it allowed Vazquez to join the PCC 500-point club. Sophomore teammate wing Dylan Swillis, who registered 13 points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocks, moved into 37th on the PCC All-Time Scoring List with 730 points.
Also against Long Beach, Quinlan Daly drained four treys as part of his 15 points off the bench, Kaiden Fine scored 13 points with six rebounds, Darrius Freeman tallied eight points, Adrian Hernandez swished two threes for his six points, Cooper Creamer collected five points, six boards, and four steals, and both LaQwon Cole and Julian Thompkins (four rebounds) added five points.
PCC never trailed v. the Vikings, leading 45-35 by halftime and never were threatened in the final 20 minutes.
On Jan. 31, the Lancers spread the wealth as all 11 players reached the scoring column in an 87-62 rout at Rio Hondo that helped PCC even its SCC North record to 2-2. Daly led the bench and the team with 13 points, making 6-for-6 at the free throw line and five rebounds.
Creamer totaled 11 points and nine rebounds, Swillis added 10 points and 11 rebounds, reserve guard Brandin Jackson contributed 10 points, Fine scored nine points with seven boards, Freeman and Thompkins had seven points a piece, Hernandez and Vazquez picked up six points each while Donovan Ford and Cole rounded out the scoring both with four points.
On Wednesday, Feb. 5, PCC returns to action to host Los Angeles City College in a 5 p.m. division tip-off.