MBB Lose to Santiago Canyon In Host Skip Robinson Classic Opener

The host Pasadena City College men's basketball team will try to make it through the consolation bracket following a 73-67 defeat v. Santiago Canyon Thursday night in the opening round of the PCC Skip Robinson Classic. The Lancers are one of eight teams participating in the first four games in the 3-day tourney at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium.

The tourney name is in honor of former athletic director/dean Skip Robinson, who served PCC for more than 40 years as a coach, instructor, and administrator. A member of the PCC Sports Hall of Fame, Robinson coached Lancers state champion men's track and field teams in 1978 and 1984. He played as an All-American defensive back on the Western State Champion/PCC Junior Rose Bowl team in 1966.

Coach Michael Swanegan's Lancers (1-3 overall) took a 32-31 halftime lead when reserve guard Todd Kitagawa (team-high 12 points) drained one of his four 3-point bombs. PCC built a 40-33 advantage, fell behind, and then retook the lead at 60-59 on a Will Johnson trey with seven minutes remaining. At that point, undefeated Santiago Canyon (5-0) went on a 10-3 run. Johnson hit another 3-pointer with 37 seconds to go that cut the Hawks lead to 70-67, but SCC held on for the win.

Santiago Canyon was paced by Antoine Jenkins game-high 26 points and Rodney Henderson, who had 18 points and 11 rebounds. For the Lancers, Anthony Evans added 11 points and Johnson eight off the bench. 

In other Skip Robinson Classic games, El Camino won a track meet over LA Trade Tech, 116-104, LA Valley got past Mt. San Antonio, 73-67, and LA Southwest downed MiraCosta, 90-72. That sets up the rest of Friday's schedule with consolation semifinals starting at 1 p.m.--LA Trade Tech v. Mt. San Antonio, then PCC playing MiraCosta at 3 p.m., followed by championship semis at 5 p.m.--El Camino v. LA Valley--and at 7 p.m.--LA Southwest v. Santiago Canyon. 

Back on Nov. 3 at the Ventura We Play Hard Tournament, the Lancers picked up their first victory, 62-56 over Moorpark. Joe Hampton totaled 26 points and nine rebounds while Kyle Mitchell had 13 points and six boards off the bench. PCC scored the game's first 11 points, but Moorpark pulled ahead at 31-27. The teams would trade leads with the Raiders in front at 39-38 before the Lancers grabbed the lead for good at 40-39 on a Mitchell layup with 12 minutes left.

Hampton poured in 28 points in the consolation final, but it wasn't enough as host Ventura defeated PCC, 92-84. The Lancers received more scoring from their bench (43 points) than the starting five (41) as Mitchell had 18 points and eight rebounds and Evans added 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists in reserve performances. Ventura controlled things, taking as large as a 17-point lead early in the second half.