
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.