David Abittan, Cabrillo College shoot their way past Hartnell
It wasn't until some point in the second half when Cabrillo College sophomore David Abittan's hot hand from behind the arc finally began to cool off against visiting Hartnell.
APTOS -- It wasn't until some point in the second half when Cabrillo College sophomore David Abittan's hot hand from behind the arc finally began to cool off against visiting Hartnell.
But that's only because the Reno, Nev., product wasn't in the game. He was on the bench, as the outcome was already ensured to fall in the Seahawks' favor.
"I got a lot of good looks from my teammates. They set me up really well," Abittan said. "In practice, those are the kind of shots coach has me take."
"So, in a game, I've just got to step in and shoot it."
Abittan, like some of his teammates, put on a 3-point clinic in Cabrillo's 102-66 thrashing of visiting Hartnell on Wednesday night -- the Coast Conference South opener for both teams.
The 6-foot-1 guard scored a season-high 26 points on 8 of 12 shooting, going 7 of 10 from behind the arc, to lead all scorers and pace the Seahawks to their third straight win and second in a row in which they've won by 36 points.
Abittan was 6 of 7 from 3-point range at halftime, when Cabrillo opened up a 57-27 lead.
"We just wanted to build some momentum," Abittan said. "And I think we did that tonight. Everyone feels good."
It was the first time this season Cabrillo (10-6, 1-0 CC-S) has eclipsed the century mark.
Sinking a total of 18 3-pointers certainly helped in reaching triple-digits.
"We know we're a really good 3-point shooting team. Obviously, we shot really well tonight," Abittan said. "But that's sort of what we look for. We want layups and 3-pointers -- high-percentage shots. And for our team, the 3-pointer is a pretty high-percentage shot."
Cabrillo finished 18 of 38 from behind the arc and were 12 of 24 at halftime.
Latrell Wilson added 24 points behind four 3-pointers, Warren Jackson chimed in with 21 points on four 3-pointers, and Allen Wilcher had 16 points on 7 of 10 shooting -- two of which were 3-pointers.
It was the most lopsided defeat for the Panthers since losing to Chabot 97-60 on Nov. 16.
The emphatic victory should only provide Cabrillo with a confidence boost as its schedule ramps up over the next 10 days. The Seahawks will visit Monterey Peninsula College (7-8, 0-0) on Friday night at 5 p.m., before hosting San Jose City College (10-7, 1-0) next Friday at 5 p.m.
Some league projections have Cabrillo and SJCC as the favorites for the CC-S crown, with MPC not far behind.
Hartnell (1-12, 0-1) is likely to be found on the opposite end of the league. The Panthers have lost three in a row since posting their only win of the season on Dec. 31 -- a 79-78 double-overtime victory against Simpson College.
"We've got to play every team likes it's a good team," Abittan said. "We've got to go after every team and try to win."
Cabrillo didn't take Hartnell lightly. Jackson's explosive play early on set the tone for the Seahawks, who led by as many as 40 points in the game.
The redshirt freshman knocked down a 3-pointer on Cabrillo's first possession, forced a turnover seconds later, then converted an easy transition basket to stake the Seahawks to an early 5-0 lead.
They never trailed in the game.
The Seahawks broke down Hartnell's zone defense with ease at times with unselfish, disciplined basketball. The extra pass often provided an open look or an open lane to drive.
The defense, meanwhile, forced 16 turnovers.
"We just want to keep playing like that, keep taking good shots like we did tonight," Abittan said. "Penetrate and kick."
Kenan Masic led Hartnell with 25 points behind four 3-pointers -- each of which were from NBA-range -- while Kyle Vasher added 17. Kaleio Manuela provided 12 points for the Panthers, who will visit San Jose City on Jan. 11.
Andrew Matheson is a sports reporter for the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Follow him on Twitter @amatheson_sc.