Getting their first chance to play at home this season, the Cerritos College men's basketball team gave the fans a show, as they connected on 12 three-pointers, en route to an 84-53 win over Rio Hondo College on Friday night. The Falcons (12-3), ranked #12 in the state and #6 in Southern California, will get 11 days off until they enter the Clete Adelman Classic and open with Grossmont College on January 2.

Cerritos came out playing aggressively on both ends of the court, as they received a pair of fast break baskets from sophomore Keshaun Mack (Long Beach Jordan HS), while the team also mixed in six three-pointers. Freshman guard Christian Alvis (Whittier Christian HS) drained the first one, while sophomore Riley Hamilton (Rancho Verde HS) mixed in a trey between a pair from freshman Cody Wilkes (La Mirada HS), which have the team an early 26-12 advantage.

Using two sets of lineups, the Falcons received 45 points and 24 rebounds from the starting five, while the five-man lineup off the bench contributed 39 points and 26 boards. Headlining the bench corps was Wilkes, who was 6-for-13 from three point range to finish with 18 points in 20 minutes, while sophomore Demetrius Thomas (Bassick, CT HS/Porterville College) made the most of his 20 minutes with 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting, while hauling in 12 rebounds.

The lead continued to swell against the Roadrunners (3-12), and it reached a 30-point advantage (57-27) when Thomas converted a pair of free throws with 14:31 left on the clock. Cerritos also out-rebounded Rio Hondo, 54-38, as all 10 players posted at least on board, with Hamilton pulling down eight caroms and also dished out four assists. Mack was accurate on 5-of-9 shots and concluded with 11 points and a team-high five assists.

Also playing well off the bench were freshman Isaiah Tyler (Redondo Union HS), who had eight points and five rebounds, with sophomore Jonathan Guzman (Paramount HS) finishing with six points and seven rebounds. Sophomore Jason Carter (View Park HS/Santa Monica College) had seven points and three rebounds, while all but one player dished out at least one assist.

Photos by Daryl Peterson