Cold Shooter Catches Fire, El Camino Beats Long Beach, 77-69

El Camino guard Larry Lockley was pretty inactive in the first half of Wednesday night’s South Coast Conference game against Long Beach. But the 6-foot-2 sophomore prevailed with six points in the remaining four minutes to secure the Warriors’ 77-69 victory at home.

Sophomore forward Jamal Ross contributed eight, six of them in the last two minutes, to improve El Camino’s record to 17-6 and 2-2 in the South Coast Conference.

Long Beach went into the game as the only undefeated team in the five-member SCC. The Vikings fell to 12-11 and 2-1.

“I thought Long Beach was going to come at us harder in the second half,” said El Camino Coach Ron McClurkin. “I was ready for their full-court press.’

The Vikings didn’t need to utilize it in the first half thanks to poor El Camino shooting and an array of unforced turnovers.

The Warriors fell behind in the opening minutes of the game. With 11:58 left in the half El Camino trailed by 10 after Long Beach’s Michael Jackson hit an eight-foot jumper from the left side.

The Warriors came to within three, 22-25, after a Darius Dubose bank shot with 6:45 left in the half. Back-to-back three-pointers by El Camino’s Keishaun Darthard and David Keeter shaved the Vikings’ lead to 28-30 with 3:54 remaining for the break. Long Beach had a 36-33 halftime lead.

El Camino took its first lead two minutes into the second half when Steve Leary’s tip-in put the Warriors up, 38-37. With 7:52 left to play, El Camino led by three after a seven-point run that included a Keeter three-pointer and pair of Lockley baskets.

After Lockley’s three buckets in the final minutes, El Camino was up 68-62. Two Ross baskets followed and the Warrior lead increased to 72-62 with 1:28 left.

El Camino will play the Naval Training Academy in Saturday’s non-conference game. The Warriors resume league action on Jan. 27 at Mt. San Antonio College.