Raiders Enjoy Pairing

Lester Strong and Devin Montgomery turned the Oxnard College men’s basketball team inside out.

Strong, Moorpark’s 6-foot-7 center, dominated inside in the first half.

Montgomery, a sharp-shooting guard, ignited a 20-6 run in the first five minutes of the second half, sending the Raiders toward a 78-67 victory in a Western State Conference Northern Division matchup Saturday at Oxnard.

Oxnard played most of the game without starting center Chris Massie, who averages 16.9 points and 12.4 rebounds. Massie did not start and had only eight points and three rebounds in 10 minutes in the second half.

He was benched for returning to the team late from the holiday break.

Montgomery, who finished with 18 points, scored five points in the 20-6 run that snapped a 31-31 halftime tie.

The Raiders (14-5, 1-1 in conference) led, 53-37, with 12:34 to play after Maike Hernandez made his second consecutive three-point basket.

Strong had 20 points, including 14 in the first half, and 15 rebounds.

The Condors (12-11, 0-2) struggled with their perimeter shooting.

“It looked like [the Condors] were unsure of what they were doing without [Massie],” Montgomery said.

William Brown led Oxnard with 16 points, including four three-point baskets, and Matt Dickenson had seven rebounds.

Montgomery and teammate T.K. Reed each had 10 assists.