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Mt. SAC Prevails in Back-and-Forth Battle with Compton

Jimmy Baker dishes out six assists in close win over Compton.
Jimmy Baker dishes out six assists in close win over Compton.

Walnut, Calif. – In a rescheduled South Coast Conference crossover game, the Mt. SAC Men's Basketball Team narrowly edged out Compton College, 76-74, on Monday, January 27. With this win, the Mounties' record sits at 19-1, while the Tartars drop to 11-9.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Compton got on the board first with a basket from Zoe Holman, but Mt. SAC quickly responded with a three-pointer from Jaidyn Simpson, setting the tone for a game filled with lead changes and intense action. Jimmy Baker's three-pointer briefly put the Mounties ahead before Compton tied it back up with a triple of their own. A total of 31 turnovers in the first half led to a fast-paced, back-and-forth contest.

Holman's dunk with under six minutes left in the first half gave the Tartars the advantage, and Nathan Ibarra added a buzzer-beating shot to send Compton into halftime with a 42-39 lead, despite efforts from Simpson, Kenneth Brown, and Jon McCullough to close the gap.

In the second half, Compton's Rey Daniels extended their lead with a jump shot, but McCullough kept Mt. SAC in the game with a layup and two free throws along with another pair of free throws form Ryan Wheeler. The Mounties' strong free-throw shooting (17-21) made all the difference in a close game. A layup from Brown gave Mt. SAC a one-point lead—their first in over 10 minutes of play—and they held onto that advantage for the remainder of the game.

With 35 seconds left, Compton's Kentrell Freeman hit a clutch three-pointer, bringing the Tartars within one point. As the clock wound down, Mt. SAC's Immanuel Taylor was fouled and made one of two free throws. Freeman grabbed a defensive rebound and pushed the ball down the court, but Ibarra's last-second three-pointer missed, sealing the Mounties' win. Talk about a game coming down to the wire!

BY THE NUMBERS:

  • Jon McCullough (Mt. SAC): Game-high 16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
  • Kenneth Brown (Mt. SAC): 15 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, 4 blocks
  • Jimmy Baker (Mt. SAC): 14 points, 6 assists
  • Zoe Holman (Compton): Team-high 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks
  • Rey Daniels (Compton): 13 points, 5 assists, 2 steals
  • Jeremy Cook (Compton): 11 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals

UP NEXT:

The Mounties will host LA Trade Tech (8-11) in a conference matchup on Wednesday, January 29. Tip-off is set for 7:00 PM, following the women's game.  

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.