Owls Take Flight Against Mounties
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mt. San Antonio (0-1) | 34 | 45 | 79 |
|
Citrus (1-0) | 54 | 39 | 93 |
After a year-long hiatus, No. 13-ranked Citrus College finally got back to the court and grabbed a 93-79 victory over Mt. San Antonio College.
The Owls start the year 1-0, while the Mounties open at 0-1.
Four Owls finished the game in double-digit points with Leonard Turner leading the charge at 25 points (9-for-17) and 12 rebounds for a double-double. Chris Chiles followed with 17 points (6-for-9), while Cedric Reed chipped in 13 points. Hayden Dykstra contributed 10 points (2-for-5).
Citrus won the glass, out-rebounding the Mounties 49-to-42.
Mt. SAC opened with the first two points of the game, but the Owls quickly caught their footing and built up a double-digit lead halfway through the first after Chiles grabbed an offensive board and found Anthony Tello for a layup, drawing a foul in the process for an extra point on the play, 25-14.
The Mounties tried to keep the score close and cut the margin to single digits, 34-25, with five minutes left to play and force a Citrus timeout.
Jayden Johnson stole the ball away and rattled in a three-pointer off a Turner assist to spark an 18-4 run as the Owls jumped out to a 52-29 lead with a minute before halftime.
Holding a 20-point lead at the break, Citrus came out looking to keep rolling and scored the first points of the half after Reed found Turner posting up under the basket.
The Mounties clawed back into the game, however, making things interesting heading down the stretch after pulling within single digits, 80-73, with five minutes to go.
Citrus took care of its chances at the line and back-to-back steals to baskets all but sealed the victory. Chiles stole the ball away, which led to a Tello layup, before Turner stole the in-bound pass and dunked it in. Reed capped the scoring with a free throw to secure the 93-79 victory.
The Owls head to No. 24-ranked Long Beach City on Wednesday, tipping off at 6:00 p.m.
