Men’s Basketball Starts Off Hot with Win over Moorpark

After a sweet 16 appearance just one year ago, the Riverside City College men's basketball team hit the hardwood for the first time this season and faced off against the Moorpark College Raiders in the 2019 Ventura College Crossover on the road. Despite a one-point deficit at half, the Tigers worked to outlast the Raiders down the stretch leading to an 82-74 victory.

Both squads traded offensive blows consecutively for the majority of the contest. Each team shot an even 50 percent from the floor. Moorpark held the edge from downtown, while Riverside shot just 30.4 percent from beyond the arc. Paint play was dominated by the Tigers as they outrebounded Moorpark, 38-28, and outscored them download by a 38-16 spread.

The game down low made a difference for the Tigers as a pair of bodies handled the bulk of the work. Sophomore Justin Motely was a beast in the season opener as seen in 15 points and 11 rebounds to earn the double-double. Six of his rebounds came on the offensive end, speaking directly to the 17 point second-chance opportunities. Freshman Sammy Richardson was just two boards shy of a double-double as he bucketed 18 points and racked up eight rebounds.

Freshman Zekiah LoVett was the leading scorer from Riverside in his debut as he utilized a 4-for-8 mark from downtown leading to a 19-point night. He added three assists, three rebounds and two steals.

Each bench player saw the floor for exactly 13 minutes. Freshman Edwyn Collins and sophomore Darius Ware notched five points each, while freshman Kevin Nze Mba recorded two buckets and reeled in four rebounds.