Community College Basketball : Chew’s 26 Points Lead Southwest : Fullerton Keeps It Close, but Ends Season Under .500

Sophomore guard Bruce Chew scored a game-high 26 points Wednesday night to lead Los Angeles Southwest College past Fullerton, 90-77, at Los Angeles Harbor College in Wilmington.

The loss eliminates the Hornets, the fifth-place team in the South Coast Conference and the 22nd seed from the Southern Division of the state Community College men’s basketball playoffs.

Southwest, the Mountain Valley Conference champion and No. 6 seed, will play Grossmount Saturday night in San Diego for one of four southern division berths in the state tournament.

Chew scored eight straight points midway through the second half to bring the Cougars back from a 49-47 deficit with 11:18 to play. He hit two 15-foot jump shots and then went inside and scored on two layups to give the Cougars a 55-49 lead.

But, as they had done in the first half, the Hornets stayed close. This time, sophomore guard Stevie Snow went on a scoring streak of his own. Snow, who finished with 17 points, made two long jump shots, and after a Southwest turnover, went inside to score on a baseline five-footer to give the Hornets the lead, 61-60, with 6 minutes left.

After a timeout, Southwest took the lead for good on a basket by Chew. Off-guard Charles Webb then scored two consecutive baskets, and the Cougars’ lead was not less than 5 points the rest of the way.

“It was just a matter of being outmanned at the end,” Fullerton Coach Roger See said. “We had struggled from behind once and it took a lot out of our players.”

The Hornets turned what looked like a first-half runaway into a close game with a combination of a fullcourt pressure and the play of sophomore forward Rocco Myers. The press caused seven Cougar turnovers in the last six minutes of the first half.

Los Angeles Southwest (27-4) opened up its biggest lead of the first half with 6:30 left. After a 10-foot jump shot by Cougar Roy Jones, the Hornets had three consecutive inbounds passes stolen. Each time the Courgars converted the steal into a score, and they led 30-13.

But the Hornets outscored the Cougars, 21-7, in the last six minutes to draw within 37-34 at halftime. While Fullerton (15-16) was struggling early in the game, Myers kept them in the game by hitting his first three shots. Once the Hornets got going, it was Myers who was leading the charge.

The 6-foot, 5-inch sophomore scored 16 of his team-high 22 points in the first 20 minutes including a last second jumper from the free throw line.

The Fullerton press mostly bothered Courger center Brian Brundage, and he turned the ball over three times before being taken out with 3:23 left in the first half.

“They had a flustered with their press,” Southwest Coach Leon Henry said. “I reminded them we had not lost a home game all season and that if they just relaxed they could do the job.”

FULLERTON (77)--Mansfield 11, Snow 17, Myers 22, Lewis 8, Hakeman 6, Melton 6, Buda 7.

LOS ANGELES SOUTHWEST (90)--Chew 26, Webb 17, Burn 16, Chaney 7, Jones 17, Blowe 6, Walker 1.

Halftime score: LA Southwest, 37-34.