Hawks Cruise in Crosstown Showdown
After starting off Orange Empire Conference (OEC) play on a two-game winning streak, the Santiago Canyon College men's basketball team looked to keep chugging down the tracks against the crosstown rival Santa Ana College Dons. The Hawks did just that by barreling over the Dons en route to a commanding 90-74 victory.
The Hawks move to an impressive 12-3 record and a 3-0 mark in conference play.
It was another strong shooting night for the Yellow and Blue by posting a shooting percentage just below 50 percent which included a 36.4 clip from distance. They did so with great ball movement and a fluid offense that saw a season-high five players land in double-digits. Furthermore, Santiago Canyon held a 94.1 percentage from the charity stripe.
The defense was on point as well as the Hawks held the Dons to a 2-for-16 mark from beyond the arc and limited their leading scorer, Mac West, to a mere 10 points.
Leading the charge was sophomore point guard Kai Smith who dropped a smooth 20 points. He has tallied 20 or more points in three of his last four games and has notched a double-digit scoring total in six-consecutive contest. He dished out five assists, hauled in two rebounds, pocketed two steals and rose up for one block as well. He remains fifth in the conference in scoring with 18.1 points-per-game.
Freshman guard Tony Colley was efficient from the floor by going 7-for-12 leading to 18 points. He was four boards shy of notching a double-double. Sophomore guard Damien Parker followed with 14 points and a game-high six assist. He teased a triple double after racking up seven rebounds. He ranks third in the conference with a 44 percent three pointing mark.
Freshman guard Trevor Manning led the bench brigade that scored a combined 29 points. He flushed 13 points and recorded five rebounds, while freshman guard Eli Arthurton bucketed 10 points. Sophomore guard Isaiah Arthurton facilitated four buckets while chipping in six points on two made three pointers.