Panthers down SBVC in Key IEAC Showdown

There is no love lost between San Bernardino Valley College and the Chaffey men's basketball team. Both teams have a history of competing for the conference title yearly. Tonight's clash between two of the conference's best, was a heated battle from the tip-off. Neither team showing any signs of backing down, and the intensity on the court showed just how important of a game this is. Despite a few moments of tempers flaring, both teams competed at the highest level of basketball with the Panthers winning 96-82.

The Panthers exploded out of the gate, leaving the home crowd stunned. Before most fans had even settled into their seats, the Panthers had created a commanding 31-8 lead.  

Uriyah Rojas led the charge for the Panthers with a triple-double, carrying the team down the stretch with key drives and trips to the free-throw line. Rojas finished the night with 25 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Mourad Toure also had a solid night, scoring in double digits with 20 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. 

Nate Simon, added 17 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds, and Jermaine Rogers, who provided a spark off the bench with 14 points. Levi Sweeney, in the starting lineup, set a physical tone early and contributed 11 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and a steal. 

It was only a matter of time until San Bernardino would crawl back into this match. Led by Darius Carr, who finished with 26 points, San Bernardino began to chip away at the lead, and in the second half, was only down by 9 points with seven minutes remaining. 

However, the Panthers responded to every San Bernardino run. Any time the momentum would seem to shift, the Panthers would answer with aggressive plays towards the basket, or hit timely three-pointers.

One of the key factors that led to this win was the way the Panthers' guards, particularly Simon and Rojas, broke down San Bernardino's full-court pressure. Their ability to find the open man, whether through a quick give-and-go or a perfectly timed lob over the top, was beautiful to watch.  Despite the Wolverines' varius attempts of pressure,  Coach Klein always seemed to have a counter-strategy ready. 

Another key that led to this win was Rojas' ability to put key Wolverine players in foul trouble. Early in the first half, Rojas drew two quick fouls on Andre Speight, forcing him to sit for a significant portion of the game. Later, in a crucial moment during the second half, Rojas baited leading scorer Darius Carr into committing his fifth foul, sending him to the bench and leaving San Bernardino without their offensive linchpin during crunch time. 

Next up for the Panthers is another tough opponent in the Cerro Coso Coyotes. Chaffey will host Cerro Coso on Saturday, February 1. Tip off is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. start.