10:00am | Men’s Basketball: Vikings come up short in 90-88 loss to LA Southwest
Five Vikings score in double-figures but it wasn’t enough as the Long Beach City College men’s basketball team suffered a narrow 90-88 South Coast Conference South Division loss to visiting Los Angeles Southwest College on Wednesday night at the Hall of Champions Gym.
The crucial loss dropped Long Beach (10-14, 7-4 SCC) two games behind L.A. Southwest (19-7, 9-2 SCC) in the SCC South Division standings with just two games left to play in the regular season.
Sophomore Raynard Tyler (Jordan HS), playing in his final home game in a Vikings uniform, led Long Beach with 23 points. But he couldn’t get his biggest shot of the night to fall in, as his running jumper with five seconds remaining in the second bounced off the rim. LBCC had one more chance, but freshman Will Ervin’s (Jordan HS) put-back attempt after the offensive rebound also missed, giving L.A. Southwest the win.
Long Beach shot an impressive 61 percent from the field (20 for 33) in the first half to take a 57-51 lead at halftime. But L.A. Southwest opened the second with four three-pointers and a pair of buckets to outscore Long Beach 12-4 over the first four minutes to take a 64-61 lead it wouldn’t give up. LBCC’s stellar shooting in the first half went also cold in the second, as the Vikings made just nine of 34 shots.
Tyler added seven rebounds and four assists to his team-high 23 points. Sophomore Jared Garber (Lakewood HS) totaled 17 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Ervin also added 17 points and six rebounds. Freshman Tyler Tuliau (Las Vegas, NV) posted a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds, and freshman Kristien Owens (Wilson HS) chipped in with 10 points and eight rebounds.
Ralph Williams led L.A. Southwest with 23 points and five assists and Stephon Dafney added 18 points thanks to five three-pointers.
Long Beach closes out the regular season next week with a pair of must-win games on the road. The Vikings are at El Camino College on Wednesday (Feb 15) and L.A. Harbor College on Friday (Feb 17). Long Beach still holds on to a slim chance at a spot in the Southern California Regional Playoffs.
Women’s Basketball: No. 18 Long Beach hammers LA Southwest 77-48
Sophomore guard Keshonda Moore (Lawndale HS) scored a game-high 19 points to help lead the No. 18 state-ranked Long Beach City College women’s basketball team to a 77-48 South Coast Conference win over visiting Los Angeles Southwest College on Wednesday night at the LBCC Hall of Champions Gym.
The Vikings also got big nights from freshmen Kaaron King (Jordan HS) and Luna Amico (Whittier HS). King posted a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds while Amico had 14 points, nine rebounds, and three steals.
LBCC played sluggish early in the contest and held just a 17-15 lead with 9:07 left in the first half. But the Vikings snapped out of it with a 19-0 run and went on to outscore L.A. Southwest 19-2 over the final eight minutes to go ahead 36-17 at the break.
Long Beach poured it on in the second half. A 10-0 run, capped by a pair of Amico free throws gave the Vikings its biggest lead of the game, 72-34, with 3:39 remaining in the game.
L.A. Southwest (4-18, 2-11 SCC) had just six players suit up for the contest. Tierra Robinson led the Cougars with 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Long Beach (17-6, 9-5 SCC) returns to action on Friday (Feb 10) at 6 pm when it hosts L.A. Trade Tech College in its final regular-season home game.