Bad start can't stop Mesa men in 79-64 win at South Mountain
| Final | 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mesa Community College | 34 | 45 | 79 |
|
South Mountain Community College | 28 | 36 | 64 |
South Mountain Community College
| Game Statistics | Mesa Community College | South Mountain Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (28-49) | (21-59) |
| Field Goal % | 57.1% | 35.6% |
| Rebounds | 33 | 36 |
| Assists | 19 | 9 |
| Turnovers | 18 | 15 |
MESA, AZ - A start that had all the makings of a disaster for the Mesa men's basketball team couldn't faze the T-Birds who went on to a 79-64 victory at South Mountain Wednesday night.
MCC fell behind 11-0 until a layup by Mitch Burnett (Fr., Phoenix, AZ/Central H.S.) broke the ice almost five minutes into the contest.That ignited the Thunderbirds who eventually had a 34-28 halftime lead and never trailed in the second half.
MCC is now 5-3 and 4-2 in ACCAC play, while the Cougars slipped to 6-5 and 4-6.
Mesa turned the ball over numerous times in the opening minutes, along with being unable to hit a shot. A Burnett slam at the 9:29 mark drew the T-Birds to within two points and MCC took the lead, 24-22, on a jumper by Charles Wardell (So., Milwaukee, Wisc/Northwest Secondary H.S.) at the 4:59 mark.
SMCC briefly regained the lead, but Jordan Pratt (Fr., Mesa, AZ/Red Mountain H.S.) drained a three-pointer to push the Thunderbirds back on tap, 29-26, a lead they never relinquished.
Mesa quickly drew out to a 50-37 margin in the second half and never allowed the Cougars to get closer than ten again.
The T-Birds shot exceptionally well, making 28 of 49 shots for a .571 percentage including 14 of 22 in the second half. They were also 10-19 on three-pointers. Meanwhile, defensively, MCC limited South Mountain to .356 shooting from the floor. MCC also took advantage of its outstanding free throw shooting, going 13-16 to improve slightly on its nation's best .803 percentage while SMCC was just 15-27.
Khari Holloway (So., Jackson, Miss/Mountain Pointe (AZ) H.S.) led both teams with 19 points to lead four for Mesa in double figures. Andrew Jones (Portland, Ore/Westview H.S.)added 14 including 4-7 on three-pointers. Burnett closed with 13, going 6-7 from the floor and Kyle Bingham (Fr., Mesa, AZ/Mountain View H.S.) scored ten and had seven rebounds. Burnett hauled in eight boards and Holloway had eight assists.
South Mountain was led by Todd Brown with 13 points. Kevin Kelly had ten before fouling out.
Mesa closes its pre-Christmas schedule when it hosts Pima Saturday at Theo Heap Gym at 4:00 p.m.
