Men's Hoops Struggling With Consistency

The Pasadena City College men's basketball team ends the 2016 portion of this season knowing it will need to find some consistency during 2017 and South Coast Conference North Division play. The Lancers are 5-10 overall after a 1-2 performance at the round-round, Imperial Valley Tournament played Dec. 28-30. 

On Friday, PCC battled back to send the final game to overtime, but settled for a 93-91 loss against College of the Desert. Tied 82-82 after 40 minutes, the Lancers played without several key players in the 5-minute OT, including Todd Barnes, who fouled out late in regulation after scoring 19 points and McKay Anderson, who fought through an injury but did not play most of the second half after scoring a season-low 13 points and grabbing seven rebounds. 

The player of the game was sophomore guard Dejon Williams, who became the third different Lancer this season to reach 30 points. Williams dished out six assists with six rebounds, three steals and three blocks. He was 5-for-5 from the free throw line as PCC was 22-for-25 as a team (88 percent). 

Justus Tucker added nine points and 10 rebounds while William Johnson scored 13 points. For Desert, Shaquille Russell scored 24 points with 10 rebounds as six Roadrunners reached double digits in scoring. 

On Thursday, PCC defeated host Imperial Valley, 82-68, as Anderson poured in 31 points with 10 rebounds. It was the second time that Anderson passed 30 points in 12 days as the talented freshman forward is sixth in the state in scoring at 21.4 points a game.

The Lancers rallied from a 35-30 halftime deficit with Williams adding 26 points (11-for-17 from the field) and Tucker contributing 11 points and six boards.

In the tourney opener, Barnes hit five 3-pointers as part of his 27 points (plus nine rebounds) but it wasn't enough in a 76-68 loss to San Diego Miramar. Anderson carried the play in the paint by making 11 of 15 inside shots as he finished with a double-double on 24 points and 10 rebounds. He also made two free throws, the only line attempts the entire game awarded to PCC by the referees.

PCC led 44-39 early in the second half, but a 12-0 Miramar run left the Lancers in a hole. Pasadena battled back to tie it at 60-60 but sloppy play allowed the Jets to pull away. 

Coach Michael Swanegan's Lancers will return to action on Jan. 6-8 as they play at the Chaffey College Challenge tournament. PCC opens against Palomar, a 3 p.m. start on Friday, Jan. 6.