Walnut, Calif. – The Mt. SAC Men's Basketball Team closed out their season with a hard-fought 87-79 loss to San Bernardino Valley College in the 3C2A SoCal Regionals Final on Saturday, March 8. This marks the second consecutive year that the Wolverines have eliminated the Mounties from the playoffs, both times by just eight points.

With the loss, Mt. SAC finishes the season with an impressive 25-5 record, while San Bernardino (26-5) advances to the State Championship, where they will face West Valley College (27-3) on Thursday, March 13. Tipoff is set for 5:00 PM at Mt. San Antonio College.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

San Bernardino Valley came out strong, setting the tone early and building a significant lead that Mt. SAC would spend the rest of the game trying to overcome. Khemanni Davis led the charge for the Wolverines with a dominant first half, scoring 16 points, including four three-pointers. Darius Carr added another 13 points, putting the Mounties in a tough position.

Despite early struggles from the starting lineup, reserves Jimmy Baker and Marvel Chambers stepped up, combining for 16 points. Ryan Wheeler and Kenneth Brown battled on the boards, securing 11 rebounds between them. By halftime, Mt. SAC found themselves trailing 51-33.

The second half was a different story. The Mounties fought back with grit and determination, outplaying the Wolverines in nearly every category. The team slowly started to close the gap, effectively navigating their offensive strategy and holding tough on defense to keep San Bernardino from running away with the game. Jaidyn Simpson came alive as the top scorer in the second half with 14 points, while Chambers remained a force, adding nine more.

With 33 seconds left on the clock, Simpson nailed a crucial three-pointer for the Mounties, cutting the Wolverines' lead to just four points after being down by more than 20. The crowd roared as they cheered for both sides, sitting on the edge of their seats, awaiting the outcome. But in the final moments, Davis was fouled twice, sinking all four free throws to secure the win for San Bernardino.

BY THE NUMBERS:

• Jaidyn Simpson (Mt. SAC): Team-high 17 points, 3 rebounds
• Marvel Chambers (Mt. SAC): 16 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals
• Jon McCullough (Mt. SAC): 10 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
• Khemanni Davis (San Bernardino Valley): Game-high 25 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists
• Shadale Knight (San Bernardino Valley): 18 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
• Jason Hilliard (San Bernardino Valley): 14 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks

SEASON WRAP UP:

The Mounties wrapped up an incredible season filled with standout performances:

• Jaidyn Simpson finished the season with 537 total points, averaging 19.9 points per game on 50.1% shooting.
• Immanuel Taylor contributed 79 assists, 40 steals, and 175 total points, averaging 9.7 points per game.
• Jon McCullough tallied 385 points and 161 rebounds, averaging 13.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
• Kenneth Brown was a force inside, securing 223 total rebounds (7.7 per game) and scoring 307 points (10.6 per game) while adding 25 blocks.
• Marvel Chambers posted 233 points, 50 assists, and 138 rebounds, averaging 9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
• Ryan Wheeler racked up an impressive 71 blocks, along with 246 points (8.5 per game) and 162 rebounds.
• Joel Gado added 154 points (5.3 per game) and 84 rebounds.

Though the season didn't end as they had hoped, the Mounties have much to be proud of. Their resilience, teamwork, and dedication were on display all year long.

We can't wait to see what's in store for next season—Go Mounties!

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.