Glendora, Calif. – Well, this isn't exactly the ending the Mounties had drawn up. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. The sun officially set on the Mt. SAC Men's Basketball season Saturday night as the No. 7 seeded Mounties fell to the No. 2 Citrus Owls, 91-80, in the SoCal Regional Finals.

Mt. SAC finishes the season with an impressive 25-5 record and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen, which is nothing to hang their heads about. Citrus, meanwhile, moves on to the 3C2A State Championship Tournament beginning March 13 in Visalia, keeping their postseason run alive.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

The Mounties came out ready to play, getting on the board first with a layup from Ryan Wheeler and setting the tone for a competitive first half. The teams traded punches early with three ties and seven lead changes, and at one point Mt. SAC built its largest lead of the night at 29-20.

Wheeler led the charge in the opening half with 11 points and eight rebounds, while Dayvon Gates and Osami Maciel added nine points each to keep the Mounties' offense rolling.

Citrus had its own offensive spark, led by Rockwell Reynolds, who poured in 13 first-half points, while Amiri Meadows chipped in 10. Despite the Owls' push, Mt. SAC held onto a slim 37-36 lead at halftime, keeping things very much up for grabs heading into the second half.

For the first five minutes after the break, the game remained tight. The lead bounced back and forth as Alejandro Munoz and Gates added key layups and Wheeler threw down a dunk that reminded everyone the Mounties weren't going anywhere quietly.

But with 14:57 remaining, Citrus found its turning point. Leo Ricketts drained a three-pointer to tie the game at 51-51, then followed it up with a layup on the next possession to give the Owls the lead—and the momentum. From there, Citrus slowly began to take control.

Gates did everything he could to keep the Mounties within striking distance, pouring in 21 of his 30 points in the second half, but free throws proved costly. Mt. SAC went 9-for-17 from the line in the second half, leaving valuable points behind.

Citrus capitalized, outscoring the Mounties 55-43 after halftime to secure the 91-80 victory, the SoCal Regional Championship, and a ticket to the Elite Eight in Visalia.

Statistically, the game was closer than the final score might suggest. Both teams shot an identical 44.4% from the field, but the Mounties struggled from deep (29.4%) and the free throw line (61.3%). Citrus also forced 17 Mt. SAC turnovers, turning them into 24 points, while dominating the paint 56-36. Wheeler saw limited action in the second half, playing just eight minutes and scoring two points, which ultimately made a significant difference down the stretch.

KEY PLAYERS:

• Dayvon Gates: Game-high 30 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal
• Osami Maciel: 17 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
• Ryan Wheeler: 13 points, 11 rebounds, (double double), 2 blocks
• Amiri Meadows (Citrus): Team-high 25 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
• Rockwell Reynolds (Citrus): 17 points, 11 rebounds (double-double), 2 blocks

SEASON RECAP:

Even though the season didn't end with a trip to the State Championship, the Mounties still put together a campaign worth celebrating. Mt. SAC finished the year with 2,529 total points, averaging 84.3 points per game while shooting 48.6% from the field. The team averaged 5.7 three-pointers and 20.3 free throws per game, along with 42.5 rebounds and 14.2 assists per contest. Defensively, the Mounties averaged 8.7 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while holding opponents to just 69.0 points per game.

Leading the charge all season long was Dayvon Gates, who totaled 605 points and averaged 20.2 points per game. Jeremy Williams and Omari Abdallah also played major roles offensively, finishing the year with 275 and 272 points respectively. In the paint, Ryan Wheeler dominated the glass with 226 rebounds, while also recording 46 blocks and shooting an impressive 65.2% from the field.

The Mounties also picked up plenty of recognition across the South Coast Conference North Division, earning six postseason honors. Gates was named Co-Player of the Year, while Wheeler and Abdallah earned First Team All-Conference selections. Williams and Zion Booker were named Honorable Mention, and head coach Michael Fenison was recognized as Coach of the Year.

All in all, it was a season filled with big wins, big moments, and plenty for the Mounties to be proud of.

NEXT UP:

And just like that, the 2025–2026 Mt. SAC Men's Basketball season comes to a close. The Mounties will regroup, reload, and be ready to make some noise again next season. We'll see you right back here.

STAY CONNECTED:

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

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