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Huskies Size and Depth Controls Feisty Cubs
by Cerwin D Haynes
(thumbnail and photos by Mario Villegas)
The last time East LA College men's basketball hosted a punchy team that was at .500, they failed to take control of the game and let it slip away. It was also the last time they lost a game.
13 straight wins later, they were not about to repeat that mistake - especially in conference play.
ELAC (16-2, 1-0) took an 11-point lead into halftime and did just enough in the latter half to keep Los Angeles City College (9-10, 0-1) at bay, winning 86-69 to open South Coast Conference-North play. The Pack improve their state-best winning streak to 14 games.
Sophomore G/F Esteban Mann scored a team-high 21 points, using his physicality to get to the rack and draw fouls (he shot 12-13 from the free-throw line). Freshman big Terrance Hampton lived in the paint, notching his third double-double of the season with 19 points and 15 rebounds (seven offensive). In fact, Hampton's performance was indicative of the Huskies' utilizing their size advantage over LA City: East LA outrebounded City 45-21, including a huge 16-5 advantage on the offensive glass (the offensive boards led to 17 second-chance points).
Mann's repeated trips to the charity stripe also evidenced another ELAC advantage on the night: the home Green drew 20 personal fouls from the Cubs while only committing 10, and enjoyed a 27-9 edge in free throw attempts (the Pack went 22-27 from the line).
East LA shot 49.2% from the field, and LA City did their best to keep pace, shooting 47.5%. But the Huskies used their length to keep the Cubs at, well, arms-length.
HUSKY BITS
- Daniel Michelini-Jackson scored 17 points on 7-14 shooting with six boards. He was able to consistently get into the paint for a mix of uncontested short jumpers and floaters.
- Seydi Thiombaine chipped in with 14 points off the bench. He also nailed his first two triples of the season, going 2-4 from behind the arc.
UP NEXT:
The Huskies are right back in the "E-rena" this Friday, hosting the Roadrunners of Rio Hondo College at 7pm (after the women's game).