Second Half Woes Haunt No. 17 Riverside in Return to Hardwood
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Santiago Canyon (13-1, 3-0) | 32 | 57 | 89 |
|
Riverside (10-5, 3-1) | 40 | 39 | 79 |
It was a battle from start to finish in an Orange Empire Conference (OEC) showdown featuring the No. 17 Riverside City College Tigers and the No. 4 Santiago Canyon College Hawks. Both teams hit the floor for the first time in nearly a month, but each side was ready to rumble.
Both teams came out of the gates sluggish, but it was the Tigers who were in control early. Despite six lead changes in the opening 10 minutes, Riverside was able to hold on to a 42-30 advantage at the end of the first frame behind 16 points from sophomore guard Zekiah LoVett. He hit two three pointers and had a steal on the defensive end that lead to a two-handed slam.
Riverside was in the driver's seat early in the second, but a 10-0 run from Santiago Canyon saw them up four points with just under 15 minutes to play. It was blow for blow leading up to the five minute mark, but the Hawks landed the final knockout punch handing the Tigers a 89-79 defeat.
Riverside limited their turnovers, but were dominated down low. They were outrebounded 42-34 and were unable to score on multiple second-chance opportunities. Additionally, Riverside struggled at the free throw line as they went an abysmal 11-for-20 (55%) on the night. The Hawks hit all but two free throws in the second half.
LoVett, who was the leading scorer for the Tigers with 18 points, only scored two points in the second half. He went 0-for-6 and missed all four three pointers. Sophomore point guard Melvin Walker was the glue that kept the Tigers in the game as he scored 14 of his 16 total points in the second half.
Sophomore big man Robert Ayala finished with 15 points and a mere three rebounds, while sophomore Jalen Monroe flirted with a double-double. He had nine points, nine rebounds and three blocks. He was responsible for half of the Tigers bench points.
Sophomore duo Edwyn Collins and Amir Davis went a combined 4-for-17 from the floor leading to just 12 total points.
