Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. – The Mt. SAC Men's Basketball Team took down Chaffey College 93-83 on Friday, December 6, improving their season record to 8-1, while the Panthers fell to 6-3.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Panthers started strong, opening with a jump shot from Jace Conway and a three-pointer by Uriyah Rojas to take an early 5-0 lead. However, after a quick timeout, the Mounties regrouped and began their climb back. Kenneth Brown hit a three-pointer, Jon McCullough scored a layup, and Marvel Chambers added a pair of free throws to put Mt. SAC back in the game. Once they secured the lead midway through the first half, the Mounties controlled the tempo, executing plays efficiently and dominating both ends of the court. They headed into halftime with a solid 55-46 advantage.

The Mounties maintained their lead until a late surge by Chaffey. Jermaine Rogers hit a jumper to tie the game at 73-73, followed by a free throw after a foul on Joel Gado, giving the Panthers a brief 74-73 lead. The teams traded leads multiple times, with both side pulling ahead at times by just a single point.

With under three minutes remaining and the score tied at 82-82, the Panthers managed one final free throw to take an 83-82 lead. However, that would be their last basket of the game. The Mounties clamped down defensively and closed out the contest with a 10-0 run. Brown hit a crucial three-pointer, Jaidyn Simpson made five clutch free throws, and Chambers and Brown added the finishing touches from the line to secure the win.

Although Chaffey's Rojas and Rogers tied for a game-high 22 points each, Mt. SAC's balanced attack—with six players scoring 13 or more points—proved too much for the Panthers to overcome.

BY THE NUMBERS:

• Jaidyn Simpson (Mt. SAC): 16 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals, 10-13 FT
• Jon McCullough (Mt. SAC): 13 points, 7 rebounds
• Kenneth Brown (Mt. SAC): 17 points, 5 rebounds, 4-9 3PT
• Marvel Chambers (Mt. SAC): 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4-4 FT
• Jeremy Williams (Mt. SAC): 14 points, 4 rebounds off the bench
• Ryan Wheeler (Mt. SAC): 13 points, 9 rebounds, 5-6 FT
• Uriyah Rojas (Chaffey): 22 points, 3 rebounds, 4-8 3PT, 3 blocks
• Jermaine Rogers (Chaffey): 22 points, 2 rebounds, 4-9 3PT

TEAM STATS:

• Shooting: Mt. SAC – 53.4% (31-58); Chaffey – 41.1% (30-73)
• Three-Point Shooting: Mt. SAC – 47.1% (8-17); Chaffey – 31.3% (10-32)
• Free Throw Shooting: Mt. SAC – 82.1% (23-28); Chaffey – 72.2% (13-18)
• Rebounds: Mt. SAC – 43; Chaffey – 26
• Turnovers: Mt. SAC – 17; Chaffey – 8

UP NEXT:

The Mounties hit the road to face Irvine Valley College (8-3) on Friday, December 13.

STAY CONNECTED:

Follow Mt. SAC Men's Basketball on twitter @MtSAC_MBKB or Instagram /mt.sacbasketball/

Follow Mt. SAC Athletics on twitter @MtSAC_athletics Instagram /mtsac_athletics/ or Facebook @Mountie.Athletics

For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.