Clinging to a 67-63 lead with 2:50 on the clock, the Cerritos College men's basketball team was limited to one point the rest of the way in a 72-68 loss to visiting Pasadena City College on Friday. The South Coast Conference crossover loss by the Falcons (13-5) was their second in a row and third in their last four games. The team will begin South Division play at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday against host Long Beach City College.
After a Dezmon Murphy (La Mirada HS) layup and subsequent free throw miss on a possible three-point play with 2:50 remaining to put the team up, 67-63, Cerritos went 0-for-3 from the field and turned the ball over three times the rest of the way against the Lancer half court pressure. They still held the lead at 67-65 with 35.8 seconds left when Christian Alvis-Labadie (Whittier Christian HS) was fouled. He missed the front end of the one-and-one, with Pasadena City (12-6) then turning the ball over themselves on a charging call after pulling down the rebound.
Pressured aggressively in the back court, Tawon Elston (Roosevelt HS) had the ball slapped away and then got called for a foul on the team's next possession. Chris Blount made the first free throw with 22.2 seconds left, but when he missed the second, Jordan Simpson got the offensive rebound and scored, while getting fouled. He converted the three-point play with 20.2 seconds left and the Lancers led, 69-67. Elston then drove the court and was fouled by Simpson, giving him two shots. He made the first, but missed the second, which would have tied the game with 8.1 seconds left.
Simpson then netted two free throws after he was fouled with 3.0 seconds left for a 71-68 Pasadena City lead. Looking to get off a three-point shot before the buzzer sounded, Cerritos turned the ball over at midcourt and dropped their second straight home game.
Freshman Daelyn Bams (Villa Park HS) scored all 13 of his points in the first half and added six rebounds, while Elston (14 points) and Hunter (13 points, six rebounds) also scored in double-figures. Wilkes checked in with 10 points, with Jeremiah Galang (Narbonne HS) pulled down five boards in his 10 minutes off the bench.
Photos by Daryl Peterson
