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Rashad Smith goes up for a shot for the Lancers in their 62-49 loss to LA Southwest Wednesday, image by Richard Quinton.
For the first 15 minutes of its South Coast Conference contest, the Pasadena City College men’s basketball team kept pace with state No. 6-ranked Los Angeles Southwest. The Lancers led 6-0, and refused to go behind after five different ties. But as soon as the Cougars made the game’s only lead change at 23-22, the LASW defense took control of things.
LA Southwest limited the Lancers to just six second-half field goals as it posted a 62-49 win, handing PCC just its second loss in seven game this season at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium.
The Lancers, the second place team in the SCC North Division, fell to 11-9 and 3-2 in SCC games. LA Southwest improved to 15-5 and remain perfect in conference play (5-0) as it leads the conference’s South Division.
For PCC, conference leading scorer and sophomore guard Givon Crump scored 22 points, making 9 of 10 from the free throw line. Crump also led PCC in rebounds with 10. However, LA Southwest shut down Crump’s long-range game as Givon took just four shots in the second half, none from beyond the 3-point circle. He had made 3-for-7 in the opening half.
The Lancers next highest scorer was frosh guard Marquise Tolson with just six points. PCC made 15 of 55 shots from the floor overall and only 6-for-24 in the second half. Sophomore point guard Jerrick Thomas sat most of the second half with foul trouble and finished with just five points and four assists. Reserve guard Ryan McGrath added five points.
While the Cougars’ swarming half-court defense befuddled the Lancers, LA Southwest relied on strong second-half play by Robert Wade, Ralph Williams, and Shannon Garner. Wade scored 12 of his team-high 17 points, Williams had 10 of his 14 points (and five steals overall), and Garner pulled down 10 of his 16 rebounds (and scored eight points) in the final 20 minutes of action.
The Lancers next visit Long Beach City College Friday, Jan. 20 in a 7 p.m. conference tilt.
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