Walnut, Calif. – It was a heated rivalry matchup as the Mt. SAC Men's Basketball team opened conference play with a hard-fought 87–80 victory over East Los Angeles College on Wednesday, January 21. The win pushed the Mounties to 16–3 overall and 1–0 in SCC North action, while the Huskies dropped to 9–8 (0–1).
As a reminder, ELAC claimed the division title last season with Mt. SAC finishing second, adding extra edge to the showdown—but with another game scheduled between the two later this season, the story is far from over.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
From the opening tip, the game lived up to its hype. ELAC got on the board first with back-to-back three-pointers from Landon Winston and Jayden Barnes, but the Mounties quickly responded. Dayvon Gates opened Mt. SAC's scoring at the free-throw line before Zion Booker and Omari Abdallah added buckets to keep things tight. A three from Jeremy Williams tied the game and set the tone for a back-and-forth battle.
Gates powered the Mountie offense in the first half, scoring 10 points—six from the stripe—while also dishing out four assists. Williams followed closely with nine points, while Booker and Copenhagen added five apiece. Winston led the Huskies with 12 first-half points, including three shots from beyond the arc. At the break, Mt. SAC held a slim 39–38 advantage.
The second half continued the tug-of-war. ELAC briefly reclaimed the lead with an Imani Herrings tip-in and a layup from Winston, but the Mounties answered once again. Abdallah knocked down a jumper, Williams and Ryan Wheeler finished at the rim, and Mt. SAC surged back in front.
The Huskies refused to go away, tying the game with a three from Quinlan Daly and taking the lead moments later at the free-throw line. Gates responded with a layup and a free throw, and after Barnes tied the game once again at 48–48, the Mounties made their move. With just over 13 minutes remaining, Alejandro Munoz drilled a three-pointer that put Mt. SAC ahead for good.
From there, the Mounties controlled the tempo. Munoz poured in 13 second-half points, while Osami Maciel added 12 after the break to keep the offense rolling. ELAC continued to battle—Barnes finished with 12 second-half points, and the Huskies dominated the glass with 19 rebounds—but Mt. SAC pulled off the seven-point rivalry win.
BY THE NUMBERS:
- Field Goal Percentage: Mt. SAC 53.6% | ELAC 47.5%
- 3 Point Percentage: Mt. SAC 36.8% | ELAC 40.0%
- Free Throw Percentage: Mt. SAC 76.9% | ELAC 72.7%
- Rebounds: Mt. SAC 29 | ELAC 35
- Points in the Pain: Mt. SAC 40 | ELAC 28
KEY PLAYERS:
- Dayvon Gates: Team-high 16 points, 12 assists, 1 steal
- Alejandro Munoz: 15 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
- Landon Winston (ELAC): Game-high 19 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals
- Jayden Barnes (ELAC): 17 points, 6 assists, 2 steals
NEXT UP:
The Mounties will host Rio Hondo (8-11) on Friday, January 23, at 5:00 PM. Conference play is underway—and the Mounties are off to a strong start.
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.