SMCC Men’s Hoops Defeats Tohono O’odham CC in ACCAC Action

The South Mountain Community College men's basketball team (10-19) defeated Tohono O'odham CC 87-76 in an Arizona Community College Athletic Conference game on Feb. 22. The Cougars also produced some strong performances in contests with Pima Community College (Feb. 15) and Cochise College (Feb. 19).

SMCC closes out the regular season on Tuesday, Feb. 25, with a home game against Mesa Community College at 7:30 p.m.

Tohono O'odham CC Recap

Sophomore Makael Rainbow led the Cougars with a team-high 31 points, and Brandon Savage, Damian Black and Anthony Jaramillo all scored in double-figures for SMCC.

The Cougars shot the ball well against the Jegos, finishing at 47.1 percent (32 of 68) from the field. SMCC also dished out 15 assists, led by Rainbow's six, and had only seven turnovers to snap a seven-game losing streak. South Mountain Community College led 43-34 at halftime and then held a narrow 44-42 advantage in the second half.

Rainbow finished 11 of 20 from the field and knocked down two 3-pointers in 27 minutes of action. He added seven rebounds and two steals in the win and is averaging 14.0 points per game for the season.

Jaramillo came off the bench to record 14 points in 22 minutes. He knocked down two 3-pointers and was 5 of 9 from the field. He is averaging 10.9 points while shooting 36 percent from 3-point range for the season.

Savage was 4 of 5 from the field and made a pair of free throws to finish with 10 points. He added four rebounds in 21 minutes of work. He reached double-figures in scoring for the first time since a Dec. 29 contest with Dawson CC.

Black posted 10 points on 5 of 8 shooting and added three rebounds in 21 minutes of action. The effort marked his third double-figure scoring performance of the season.

Jalen Gant led SMCC with eight rebounds. He added five points, two assists, a steal and a block in 19 minutes. Kareem Clark led the Cougars with five steals and added five points, three rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes.  

Cochise Recap

The SMCC men's basketball team lost 98-66 to Cochise College on Feb. 19 in an ACCAC game in Douglas, Ariz. Kareem Clark led the Cougars in scoring with 15 points while Makael Rainbow, Jalen Gant and Anthony Jaramillo all scored in double-figures.

The Cougars shot 37.8 percent (28 of 74) from the field and trailed 41-29 at halftime. In the second half, the Apaches held a 57-37 advantage.

Clark finished 7 of 15 from the field and added three rebounds, two assists and a steal in 26 minutes.

Rainbow totaled 14 points and three rebounds in 25 minutes. Gant posted 12 points on 6 of 9 shooting and tied with Brandon Savage for the team lead with seven rebounds.

Jaramillo came off the bench to connect on three 3-pointers and record 10 points. Damian Black added six points off the bench, while Cody Carmichael finished with five points, three assists and two rebounds.

Pima CC Recap

The South Mountain Community College men's basketball team lost 102-85 to Pima Community College on Feb. 15. Makael Rainbow led the Cougars with a season-high 33 points on 13 of 20 shooting.

As a team, SMCC shot 50.7 percent (34 of 67) from the field and grabbed 27 rebounds. However, the Cougars trailed 58-44 at halftime and were outscored 44-41 over the final 20 minutes.

Rainbow eclipsed his previous season-best of 27 points in a Dec. 30 win over Bismarck State College. He was 6 of 9 from the free-throw line, and added four rebounds, three assists and one block and steal in 34 minutes.

Kareem Clark finished with 16 points on 7 of 16 shooting in 32 minutes of work. Jalen Gant scored 11 points to go with his team-high seven rebounds in 27 minutes. Anthony Jaramillo recorded 12 points on 4 of 7 shooting, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers.