SMCC Men's Hoops Opens Conference Play against Phoenix College, Glendale CC

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College men's basketball team (5-5, 1-2 ACCAC) lost 83-77 to Phoenix College on Nov. 17 and 72-67 to Glendale CC on Nov. 20 in a pair of Arizona Community College Athletic Conference contests. Freshman Darien Allen scored a team-high 19 points against the Bears, while sophomore Demonte Demore led SMCC with 16 points against the Gauchos.

Phoenix College Recap

The Cougars held a 37-33 lead at the half, but the Bears scored 50 points in the second half to record the 83-77 win. SMCC shot 53.8 percent (35-of-65) from the field but connected on 23.1 percent from 3-point range and 44.4 percent from the free-throw line. The Cougars had 24 rebounds, seven assists and four steals in defeat.

Allen was 9-of-14 from the field and knocked down one 3-pointer. He added seven rebounds and two steals in 27 minutes of work.

Sophomores Elijah Melendez and Demore each had 11 points in the loss. Melendez was 5-of-12 from the field and had a 3-pointer and two rebounds. Demore finished 5-of-10 from the field and had two rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes.

Sophomore Shawn Black came off the bench to grab a team-high eight rebounds to go with eight points in 14 minutes. Sophomore Fahad Tarjali finished with nine points in 16 minutes off the bench.

Glendale CC Recap

The Cougars nearly overcame a nine-point halftime deficit but fell 72-67 to the Gauchos in their 2021-22 ACCAC home opener on Nov. 20. SMCC shot 41.5 percent from the field (27-of-65), 33.3 percent from 3-point range and 71.4 percent from the free-throw line. The Cougars dished out 19 assists to go with 35 rebounds, eight steals and eight blocked shots.

Demore finished 7-of-12 from the field and knocked down a 3-pointer. He also dished out a team-high six assists and added five rebounds, a block and a steal in 27 minutes.

Melendez was the second Cougar to reach double-figures, scoring 10 points in 26 minutes. He knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and had three rebounds and three assists.

Allen had nine points, three assists and two rebounds, steals, and blocks. Tarjali scored eight points off the bench to go with five rebounds, while Black and sophomore Kane Kenyon had six points off the bench.