Taking on undefeated San Bernardino Valley College in their home opener on Saturday afternoon, the Cerritos College men's basketball team suffered a 77-60 loss. The Falcons (5-2), who were coming off the championship of the Irvine Valley Tournament, will enter the Mt. san Antonio Tournament on December 2 and open with a 1:00 p.m. game against Orange Coast College.

Against the Wolverines (7-0), the Falcons held an early 21-20 lead after a Cristian Perez (Santa Fe HS) jump shot with 13:19 left, but surrendered it and were never able to regain it the rest of the game. The Wolverines drained a three-pointer from Chris Johnson on their next possession and carried a 46-35 lead at intermission.

In the second half, Cerritos was able to close the gap to seven points (57-50) with 12:13 remaining after sophomore Salvador Carlos (Downey HS/Biola University) hit a three-pointer. But San Bernardino responded by outscoring the Falcons, 13-7 over the next nine minutes. During that span, the Falcons were just 2-for-9 from the field with seven turnovers.

Carlos was the only player to score in double-figures, as he converted 6-of-8 field goals, including five three-pointers, for 21 points. Perez and sophomore Anthony Lefeau (Orange Lutheran HS) each added eight points, with Lefeau leading the team with eight boards. Jonathan Guzman (Paramount HS) and Brian Nebo (St. John Bosco HS) combined for 13 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

San Bernardino Valley had four players score in double-figures and were led by Brandon Jolley, who scored 20.

Photos by Daryl Peterson