Walnut, Calif. – The Mt. San Antonio College Men's Basketball Team put on an offensive show Friday night, rolling past Rio Hondo 109–75 on January 23. The win boosts the Mounties to 17–3 overall and 2–0 in conference play, while the Roadrunners drop to 8–12 (0–2).

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Zion Booker wasted no time getting the Mounties on the scoreboard, opening the game with a layup just 30 seconds in—and from there, it was all Mt. SAC. The Mounties controlled the tempo on both ends of the floor and never looked back.

Osami Maciel and Omari Abdallah led the first-half charge, pouring in 16 and 15 points, respectively. Ryan Wheeler made his presence felt as well, adding seven points while cleaning up the glass with nine rebounds.

Rio Hondo came in well-prepared defensively, locking down Mt. SAC's leading scorer Dayvon Gates and holding him scoreless in the first half. But Gates still found ways to impact the game, showcasing his high basketball IQ by dishing out nine assists to keep the momentum moving in favor of the Mounties. On the other end, Kenneth Bailey paced the Roadrunners with nine first-half points, but Mt. SAC headed into the break firmly in control, leading 61–34.

Wheeler set the tone for the second half, throwing down a rim-rattling dunk followed by a layup. Rio Hondo answered with a three-pointer from Sebastian Esparza and a bucket from Matthew Rodriguez, but the Mounties had plenty more in the tank.

About four minutes into the half, Gates finally got on the board with a layup—and then he really got rolling. Gates scored 15 points in the second half, while Dominic Copenhagen added eight. Rio Hondo showed more fight after halftime, with Christian Howlin scoring nine points and Bailey adding eight more, but it wasn't enough to catch up to the Mounties.

Rebounding proved to be a major difference-maker. Rio Hondo grabbed just 10 rebounds in the second half, while Mt. SAC dominated the boards with 28, including six from Derek Moreland. Even though the second half was more evenly matched (48–41 in favor of Mt. SAC), the Mounties' explosive first half sealed the deal, cruising to a 109–75 victory.

KEY PLAYERS:

• Osami Maciel: Game-high 21 points, 6-for-7 from the free-throw line
• Dayvon Gates: 15 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals
• Ryan Wheeler: 11 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks
• Kenneth Bailey (Rio Hondo): Team-high 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists 2 steals
• Ryan Osborne (Rio Hondo): 13 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist

NEXT UP:

The Mounties hit the road for their next conference matchup against Pasadena City College (9–11, 0–2) on Wednesday, January 28 at 5:00 PM. Let's keep the momentum rolling!

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.