Men’s Basketball Holds Chaffey at Bay for Third-Straight Win

The Santiago Canyon College men's basketball team stepped foot on its home hardwood Wednesday night as they took on the Chaffey College Panthers in non-conference action. The Hawks grabbed an early 12-point advantage and never surrendered the lead en route to a 90-82 victory.

It wasn't a cake walk for the Hawks despite leading coast-to-coast. SCC outplayed the Panthers in nearly every category highlighted by a 47.6 percent shooting which encompassed a 33.3 percent clip from beyond the arc. They out rebounded the Panthers 46-44 in a gritty performance in the paint. Furthermore, the Hawks got it done at the free throw line, especially in the final three minutes, by going 20-for-24.

Sophomore guard Kai Smith was the catalyst to the Hawks offense as he played all but two minutes. He dropped a team-high 22 points on a 9-for-19 night. It is his second-consecutive game that he surpassed the 20-point threshold.

Smith also handled a pesky Chaffey press with poise that only saw him commit a pair of turnovers. He added six rebounds, two assists and one steal in the process.

Freshman guard Tony Colley joined Smith in double-digit scoring as he flushed an even 20 points. He earned a double-double on the night by grabbing 11 rebounds. Sophomore guard Joey Longo was a monster on the boards as he inhaled a game-high 14 rebounds to go along with 12 points for a double-double. Nine of his points came at the charity stripe. Additionally, he added three blocks, two of which came in the final two minutes on potential three-point shots.

Sophomore guard Isaiah Arthurton banged home 14 points in 34 minutes of action and led his team from long range. He went 4-for-5 on the night. Freshman guard Trevor Manning was the fifth and final double-digit scorer as he flushed 10 points in a supporting role.