Walnut, Calif. – The Mt. SAC Men's Basketball Team closed out their regular season with a tough 87-66 loss to East Los Angeles College on Friday, February 21, marking their second defeat to the Huskies this season. Despite the setback, the Mounties finish second in the South Coast Conference North Division with an overall record of 24-4 and a conference record of 7-3, while ELAC secures the top spot at 26-2 overall and 10-0 in conference play.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The game started with promise for the Mounties as Jaidyn Simpson opened the scoring with a layup, followed by a Jon McCullough jump shot. However, the Huskies quickly took control, fueled by Daniel Michelini-Jackson's free throws and a Kamren Williams three-pointer. The Mounties kept pace with eight points each from Simpson and Joel Gado, but ELAC's depth proved overwhelming. Terrance Hampton and Esteban Mann dominated the boards, combining for 15 rebounds in the first half alone, while Mt. SAC managed just 11 total rebounds. At halftime, the Huskies led 36-29.
ELAC turned up the pressure in the second half, pouring in 51 points with major contributions from Mann, Michelini-Jackson, Jayden Barnes, and Donjae Lindsey. The Mounties fought back with eight second-half points from Simpson and nine from McCullough, while Ryan Wheeler and Jimmy Baker each chipped in five. However, Mt. SAC struggled to contain ELAC's offense and was dominated on the glass. The Huskies outrebounded the Mounties 56-21, including 27 second-half boards compared to just nine for Mt. SAC.
Statistically, the Mounties were outmatched in several key areas, including points in the paint (56-34) and second-chance points (21-2), both of which highlighted ELAC's dominance in the game.
BY THE NUMBERS:
- Jaidyn Simpson (Mt. SAC): Team-high 16 points, 3 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 blocks
- Jon McCullough (Mt. SAC): 11 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block
- Joel Gado (Mt. SAC): 10 points, 1 block
- Esteban Mann (ELAC): 18 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals
- Terrence Hampton (ELAC): 7 points, 16 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block
- Donjae Lindsey (ELAC): 13 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals
NEXT UP:
Despite the loss, Mt. SAC enters the SoCal Regionals as the No. 4 seed, with postseason play set to begin on Wednesday, February 26. The Mounties were awarded a bye for the first round and will host their first game on Saturday, March 1, at 7:00 PM, facing the winner of the No. 13 MiraCosta (20-8) vs. No. 20 Compton (19-9) matchup. Come out and support the team as they look to bounce back and make a deep playoff run.
STAY CONNECTED:
Follow Mt. SAC Men's Basketball on twitter @MtSAC_MBKB or Instagram /mt.sacbasketball/
Follow Mt. SAC Athletics on twitter @MtSAC_athletics Instagram /mtsac_athletics/ or Facebook @Mountie.Athletics
For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.
