Cold Start Hinders SCC in Loss to Azusa Pacific

Southern California College took a slow start to the extreme Tuesday.

SCC missed its first nine shots, shot 21% from the field in the first half, and found itself facing a 21-point halftime deficit against the seventh-ranked team in the NAIA, Azusa Pacific.

Although SCC cut a 24-point deficit to four in the second half, Azusa Pacific, closed it out, 75-62, in a Golden State Athletic Conference men’s basketball opener Tuesday at SCC.

With 3 1/2 minutes remaining, SCC moved as close as 64-60 and Adam Dzierzynski (18 points, six assists) had a good look at a three-pointer from the left wing.

But the shot didn’t fall, and Azusa Pacific’s T.J. Walker (19 points, five assists) raced the other way and made a layup and was fouled. His three-point play gave Azusa Pacific (16-3, 1-0) control again and SCC (10-8, 0-1) was left to ponder its horrific start.

“We missed some easy shots early, then we got impatient,” Coach Bill Reynolds said of his team, which shot 31% from the field for the game. “We have to compete like we did in the second half. It can’t be a rollercoaster-type thing.”

SCC’s Rod Scheuerman was the only steady force, making six of 10 shots to finish with 16 points and eight rebounds. But the rest of the Vanguards struggled.

Dzierzynski was shooting 53% from the field entering the game but made only six of 19 shots. Dennis Keane (three of 11), Justin McIntee (four of 11) and Terence Wilborn (two of 12) also couldn’t find the range.

That wasn’t a problem for Azusa Pacific, the five-time defending conference champion, which made its first five shots.

Walker, who played at Pacific and transferred to Azusa Pacific from Modesto College, also had five rebounds and four steals.

In another conference game:

Concordia 89, Fresno Pacific 77--Kalim Scott scored 29 points and had 12 rebounds for his fifth-consecutive double-double for Concordia (10-8, 1-0), which made 33 of 38 from the free-throw line. Josh Giles added 16 points and seven assists for the Eagles.

In Golden State Athletic Conference women’s basketball:

Concordia 75, Fresno Pacific 57--Heather Carll had 21 points and 15 rebounds and Angela Good had 14 points for Concordia (13-4, 1-0), which limited Fresno Pacific (9-11, 0-1) to 25% shooting from the field in the first half to take the lead, 36-27.

In nonconference women’s basketball:

Chapman 80, Occidental 56--Lyndsay Brown had 29 points and nine rebounds, making 13 of 20 from the field, and Lisa Nielsen added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Panthers (12-4).