SMCC Men's Basketball Finishes 3-0 at Phoenix College Holiday Tournament

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College men's basketball team went 3-0 at the Phoenix College Holiday Tournament on Dec. 28-30, 2022. The Cougars defeated Community Christian CC (105-53), Bella Vista Prep (98-58), and Life Ascendancy Prep (93-56) at the event to improve their season record to 9-5. 

Community Christian CC Recap

SMCC opened its time at the tournament with a 105-53 victory over Community Christian CC on Dec. 28. The Cougars led 51-19 at halftime and won the second half 54-34. South Mountain CC shot 52.4 percent (44-of-84) from the field, knocked down seven 3-pointers, grabbed 55 rebounds and dished out 16 assists. 

Freshman Jaylen Wesley led SMCC with 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting. He added five rebounds, two assists, four steals and a block in 25 minutes. Sophomore Darien Allen and freshman Jimmy Causey Jr. had 15 points for the Cougars. Allen had five rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block, while Causey Jr. pulled down a season-high 13 rebounds to go with three blocks in 20 minutes.

Sophomore Abdi Odowaay posted 12 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals in 20 minutes. Freshman Zachary Cieslo had nine points and five rebounds off the bench, while Shamar Grant and Khabri Davis scored seven. 

Bella Vista Prep Recap

SMCC posted a 98-58 victory over Bella Vista Prep on Dec. 29. The Cougars led 50-19 at halftime and won the second half 48-39. SMCC shot 50.7 percent (36-of-71) from the field and 45.5 percent (10-of-22) from the 3-point line. The Cougars had 50 rebounds, 16 assists, 13 steals and four blocks in the win. 

Wesley led the team in scoring for the second-straight game, posting 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting. He added six rebounds, two steals and an assist in 22 minutes. Allen finished second on the team with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting in 22 minutes. He added four rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. 

Sophomore Steven Cervantes scored 11 points off the bench, including three 3-pointers, in 19 minutes. Freshmen Aaron Johnson and Causey Jr. led SMCC with 11 rebounds, with Causey scoring nine points and Johnson adding six. 

Davis scored eight points and had six rebounds in 10 minutes, while Grant added seven points, two rebounds and two assists in nine minutes.  

Life Ascendancy Prep Recap

The Cougars wrapped up their time at the PC Holiday Tournament with a 93-56 victory over Life Ascendancy Prep on Dec. 30. SMCC shot 50.6 percent (40-of-79) from the field and 47.4 percent (9-of-19) from the 3-point line, and finished with 41 rebounds, 19 assists and nine steals. 

Wesley led SMCC in scoring for the third time in as many games, posting 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting. He knocked down two 3-pointers and added three rebounds, an assist and a steal. 

Causey Jr. was second on the team with 12 points, adding nine rebounds in 16 minutes. Odowaay had 11 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals in 19 minutes. 

Johnson scored nine, Allen added eight for the Cougars, and both had five rebounds, an assist and a steal in the victory.