Huskies Grinds Past Santa Ana to Advance, Gets Rematch with Cerritos

by Cerwin D Haynes

It is often said that great teams can win games different ways and even playing different styles. East Los Angeles College men's basketball is a team that often scores a lot (87.8 point per game) by executing an efficient offensive system with athletic playmaking. But coming into tonight's playoff game versus the Dons of Santa Ana College, the Huskies faced a team that had just beaten Allan Hancock on the road with a defensive, low-scoring rock fight.

For the first ten-plus minutes of this one, Santa Ana found some success employing a similar style and strategy as they did Wednesday. But ELAC eventually matched and succeeded the Dons' grinder energy during the first half, and did just enough in the second half to keep SAC from seriously threatening the game. The result was a 75-68 win for the home Green, and ELAC advances to the Regional Finals next Saturday to face Cerritos College for the second time this season. East LA Freshman F (and South Coast Conference-North First Teamer) Terrance Hampton led all scorers with 20 points (6-8 FGs, 8-10 FTs) while snagging seven rebounds. South Coast Conference-North Player of the Year and sophomore G Daniel Michelini-Jackson scored 17 with five rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots.

Santa Ana opened the game out-doing the things ELAC is known for: getting offensive rebounds and getting to the line. SAC G Camron Swist hit a driving runner at the 9:30 mark of the first half while fouled to put East in a 24-16 hole (he would miss the free throw). From that point, the Huskies put more effort into their boardwork on both ends alng with their defense, finishing the half on a 19-7 surge to take a 35-31 lead into the half.

The second half saw the Pack put a bit more distance between them and the visitors: sophomore G/F (also a South Coast Conference-North First Teamer) Esteban Mann skied high on a thunderous one-hand dunk off a defensive rebound-turned fast break to give ELAC a 44-35 lead with 16:34 left. As the Huskies have broke many games open this season, the atmosphere in the gym after that dunk felt like East was ready to make their definitive run. Both teams stagnated for a bit, but later on in the half, ELAC looked again ready to put away Santa Ana: South Coast Conference-North Second Teamer and sophomore F/G Zyier Beverly flush down an emphatic two-handed jam off a feed from Seydi Thiombaine for an ELAC 56-43 advantage with 10:45 to go. Santa Ana wouldn't go away, as they outscored East LA 7-3 over the next two-plus minutes to draw within nine. And everytime ELAC would get the lead to double digits from that point on, the Dons would put together a small flurry to stay relatively close.

Except ELAC refused to let any of these flurries turn into a big run to threaten their lead. The closest Santa Ana would get was within six, 71-65, on a last-hurrah 6-0 spurt with 1:15 left in the game. A pair of Mann free throws pushed the Pack's lead to eight, 73-65, with 34 seconds left. And after SAC's Jackson Brennan was fouled, making only one of his two freebies from the stripe, the Huskies spoiled the Dons desperation halfcourt trapping, with Michelini-Jackson finding Mann driving to the basket for the game-icing slam.

HUSKY BITS

• Mann finished with 14 (5-12 FGs) points and nine rebounds.
• Sophomore PG Donjae Lindsey scored 11 points off the bench along with five boards.
• Both teams shot poorly from the field: 38.7% for SAC, 39.7% for ELAC (many of ELAC's misses seemed to be chippies at the rim or in the paint).
• ELAC had 16 assists on 25 made FGs.
• After trailing on the boards early in the first half, the Huskies finished with a 48-35 advantage on the glass (20-13 offensive).
• Mac West lead Santa Ana with 19 points (7-12 FGs, 1-3 3FGs, 4-5 FTs)

UP NEXT:

A chance at high-stakes redemption: ELAC's last loss was to Cerritos at home way back on November 20th, a 77-76 heartbreaker. The Falcons, not ranked at that time, ultimately did well for themselves since that game - winning the South Coast Conference-South crown. They then beat Saddleback in the opening round of the playoffs and - earlier tonight - upset San Diego City on the road. Poetic that for the Pack to make State, they have to now beat the team that last beat them.

ELAC hosts Cerritos College next Saturday, March 8 at 7pm. Winner heads out to Walnut for the State Championships the following week.