With the calendar turning to November, Long Beach City College fall sport teams are gearing up for the postseason. But walk inside the Hall of Champions Gym and one will find the men’s and women’s basketball teams counting the days until they hit the floor for their 2009-10 season openers.
The wait isn’t much longer, as the LBCC women begin play at home this Friday (Nov. 6) against Rio Hondo College. The Viking men will also get things going on Friday (7:30 p.m.) with their alumni game, but officially open the season next Tuesday (Nov. 10, 7 p.m.) at home against Mt. San Antonio College.
The LBCC men will have a different, but familiar face leading the squad this season. Former assistant coach Barry Barnes takes over the Vikings after Gary Anderson stepped down after serving 18 seasons as head coach. Anderson remained with the program and will serve as an assistant, but the show is definitely Barnes’ this season.
Barnes looks to improve on the Vikings’ 2008-09 season that saw LBCC compile a 15-15 overall record and finish second in the South Coast Conference South Division at 7-3.
First-team All-SCC South Division forward Lane Whitney and second-team forward Stephan Gwin are the lone returners from last year’s squad.
Whitney posted 12.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while Gwin averaged 11.8 PPG and 8.1 RPG last season.
In between four away tournaments this winter, Long Beach will play at home in five non-conference games. Following next Tuesday’s season opener, the Vikings are back at home again on Thursday (Nov. 12, 7 p.m.) to host Fullerton College.
The Vikings open SCC South Division play on January 15 at L.A. Southwest College and begin division play at home on January 20 against El Camino College.
Trimeka Jackson returns for her sixth season as head coach of the LBCC women’s basketball team. She looks to completely turn around a rough 2008-09 season that saw the Vikings go 1-26 and 0-8 in the SCC South Division.
Guard Alanna Yim is the lone returner from last year’s squad. Yim averaged 4.3 PPG and 3.1 RPG during the 2008-09 season.
Long Beach will play in three tournaments before opening SCC South play. The women will also be home for five non-conference contests. Following Friday, LBCC is back home again on November 18 (5:30 p.m.) when it hosts College of the Canyons.
The Lady Vikings open SCC South Division play on January 15 at L.A. Southwest College and begin division play at home on January 20 against El Camino College.
Reports From LBCC’s Chris Ruiz