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Men's Basketball looks to snap losing streak against South Mountain on Wednesday
Men's Basketball looks to snap losing streak against South Mountain on Wednesday
Posted: Jan 09, 2024

Men's Basketball looks to snap losing streak against South Mountain on Wednesday

Tuesday January 8, 2024 - 12:35 p.m. | Dylan DeVlieger

MCC Men's Basketball looks to snap their five game slide on Wednesday as they host South Mountain in a conference matchup.

The Thunderbirds enter play with a 4-9 overall record (2-5 ACCAC). MCC has had opportunities to come out victorious in three of their last five contests but just weren't able to either seal the deal or make a last second push to steal the win.

Orlando Gonzales went nuclear in their last game against Chandler-Gilbert, going an absurd 8-10 from deep scoring 29 points in their 77-72 loss. MCC had an eight point lead with just under four minutes left but the Coyotes would go on a 14-2 run to steal the victory from the T-Birds.

South Mountain comes in with a 5-9 overall record but has struggled in conference play as they enter winless at 0-6. The Cougars are led in scoring by Jaylen Wesley who leads the conference in PPG with 28.5. Wesley has five 30 point games this season including two in his last four appearances.

Common Opponents:

  • Pima CC: MCC lost to Pima, 1109-88; SMCC lost to Pima, 118-59.

  • Chandler-Gilbert CC: Mesa lost to CGCC, 77-72; SMCC lost to CGCC, 79-61.

  • Eastern Arizona College: Mesa lost to EAC, 94-63; SMCC lost to EAC, 86-63.

  • Yavapai College: Mesa lost to YC, 92-89; SMCC lost to YC, 94-89.

  • Gillette College: Mesa lost to GC, 85-52; SMCC lost to GC, 79-73.

 

 

Thunderbird Keys to the Game:

  • Slow down Wesley: Jaylen Wesley does a little of everything for SMCC, averaging 28.5 PPG (conference leader), 11.2 RPG (conference leader), and shooting at nearly 49% from the field and beyond the arc. Slowing him down is the key for the T-Birds as he's able to impact the game in so many ways.

  • Keep Gonzales hot: After scoring a season low two points against Gillette College Gonzales has averaged 52% shooting from the field and 20.5 PPG in his last two contests. Gonzales exploded for a career high 29 points and either three-pointers in their last game against CGCC.

  • Keep the Cougars off the free throw line: SMCC is one of the best free throw shooting teams in the conference hitting their shots at a 77.2% rate. The Cougars attempt 22.3 free throws/game. In the T-Birds last five games they are giving their opponents 21.2 free throw opportunities per contest. 

The game will tip-off at 7:30 p.m. Admission for the games is FREE with the donation of a non-perishable food item that will benefit the Mesa Market!

Can't make the game? MCC Athletics has you covered, tune into T-Birds Sports Live to catch all the action!