Posted: Jan 14, 2022
GCC comes from behind to beat Canyons 81-73; Joel Finney leads Vaqs with 26 points
The ebb and flow of a basketball game was on full display Wednesday night at Glendale College. But in the end of the Western State Conference matchup between visiting College of the Canyons and host Glendale, the Vaqs overcame the visitors advantage to come away with an 81-73 victory.
Now 9-7 overall and 1-1 in WSC play, Glendale and Canyons both held slight leads in the first half before the visiting Cougars took a 40-30 lead heading into the intermission. That lead grew to 14 points early in the third quarter before the Vaqs started to chip away at the lead, finally taking the lead at 66-64 on a 3-point basket and free throw by Christian Finney, who had 13 points, with 4:58 left in the game and grew it to 69-64 before Canyons scored to end a 19-0 run by the Vaqs.
"We executed some things much better this game and we're able to get good lucks for open shots'' said GCC head Coach Vigen Jilizian. "Defensively we were much better in the second half, keeping guys in front of us and protecting the paint.''
Joel Finney led GCC with 26 points to go with six assists and five rebounds and was 6 of 10 from the 3-point line. Julian Dixon added 10 points and Brooklin Sharpe led the Vaqs with nine rebounds. Glendale plays next, Wednesday January 19 at 5 pm at Antelope Valley College.