SCC Holds On to Defeat Azusa Pacific, 70-62

Southern California College ended Azusa Pacific’s nine-game winning streak with a 70-62 victory Saturday in a Golden State Athletic Conference men’s basketball game at SCC.

The Vanguards (18-7, 5-3) held Azusa Pacific, ranked 16th in the NAIA, to its lowest conference point total in Coach Bill Odell’s six-year tenure.

“It was not an artistic success,” SCC Coach Bill Reynolds said. “In fact, we played better up there when they beat us at the buzzer.”

The Vanguards went cold the final six minutes of each half and failed to convert a field goal during those stretches, but it’s what they did in between that made the difference.

SCC scored the first six points of the second half to take a 41-33 lead and the Vanguards managed to keep Azusa Pacific at arm’s length the rest of the way.

Azusa Pacific (20-6, 7-1) got as close as 64-57 on Trenton Jackson’s jumper with 4:53 remaining, but was held scoreless until the final seconds when the game had already been decided.

The Vanguards made six of eight free throws in the last minute after missing eight of their previous 13 attempts. “We go through a lot of peaks and valleys,” Reynolds said.

Azusa Pacific came into the game leading the conference in three-point field goal percentage (45.7%) and second in team field-goal percentage (50.1%), but made only four of 21 attempts from beyond the arc and shot just 40% from the field, including 32% in the second half.

Eric Walker scored eight points to key SCC’s 12-0 run early in the first half that gave the Vanguards a 23-15 lead. SCC increased its lead to 32-23 on a three-pointer by Jeff Rose with 5:23 left.

The Cougars then took advantage of SCC’s cold spell and whittled the lead to one on Ty Clark’s steal and layup with 1:24 left.