With a chance at the final shot against undefeated Fullerton College on Saturday night, the Cerritos College men's basketball team saw the shot go offline in a 61-60 loss. The Falcons (2-5), who lost by four points against Allan Hancock three nights earlier, grabbed a rebound after the Hornets (8-0) DJ Houstin missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw. Sophomore Jacob Washington  (Washington Prep HS/Los Angeles Harbor College) pulled down the miss, dribbled across half court and got off a shot, but it bounced off the rim.

In the second half, the Falcons trailed by as many as 12 points (48-36) with 14:28 remaining before going on a 13-5 run to draw to within four points with 6:05 left. Four straight points from Houston and one of two free throws from Harrison Bonner made it a 58-49 Hornets lead. Freshman Jahlen Jack (Centennial, GA HS) responded with four straight points, but when Bonner netted a three-pointer with 2:34 remaining to put the game at 61-53, it looked like Fullerton had put the game away.

A pair of free throws from Jack, followed by a Dorian Harris (Cerritos HS) jumper started the Falcon comeback. After Bonner missed a jumper with 31 seconds left, Washington came down the court and set up for a three-pointer, which he drained with nine seconds remaining for a 61-60 game. A Cerritos timeout was followed by a quick foul, which sent Houston to the line, where he missed the front end, setting up the last shot.

Galang, who finished with 17 points, also added eight rebounds, while Jack posted 12 points. Harris came off the bench to contribute nine points and five boards, with the duo of Washington (seven rebounds) and Jaishon Forte (Rancho Verde HS) each finishing with seven points. Sophomore Jalen Washington (Bishop Montgomery HS) led the team with 10 rebounds.

The Falcons will compete in the Riverside City Tournament on December 4 and open with the host Tigers at 7:00 p.m.

Photos by Daryl Peterson