SMCC Men's Basketball Stages Second-Half Comeback at Mesa CC

PHOENIX ---

The South Mountain Community College men's basketball team (9-14, 4-7 ACCAC) staged a second-half comeback to defeat Mesa CC 74-65 in an ACCAC road game at the MCC Gymnasium on Feb. 1. Trailing 33-25 at halftime and by 11 with 9:30 to play, the Cougars pulled off an epic comeback to post a critical road win in conference play. 

A lay-up from MCC's Talbot Cummard put the Thunderbirds ahead 54-43 with less than 10 minutes to play. From there, SMCC cut into the lead with jump shots from sophomores Julius Williams and Jacob Taylor, who scored five straight at one point for the Cougars.

Sophomore Cash Callaway then cut the lead to five (60-55) with 6:52 to play and added a lay-up less than 30 seconds later to trim the advantage to three. That set up sophomore Nathan Robinson, who canned 3-pointers at 6:01 and 5:14 to put SMCC ahead 63-60. 

Taylor added another lay-up at 4:25 and after an MCC 3-pointer at 3:04 made it 65-63, Callaway connected on a 3-pointer to restore the five-point lead. Williams recorded a lay-up at 1:23 to push the advantage to eight and three possessions, and freshman Drew Hoxie and Taylor added two points apiece in the final minute. 

Callaway led SMCC with 21 points on 8 of 15 shooting and two 3-pointers in 34 minutes. He added six rebounds, four assists, and three steals. 

Williams posted 17 points and a team-high nine rebounds in 37 minutes. He added three assists, two blocks, and a steal. 

Taylor had 15 points, a team-high five assists, two rebounds, and one steals in 35 minutes. Robinson posted 15 points, three rebounds, three 3-pointers, one steal, and one block in 21 minutes off the bench. 

Hoxie recorded six points and three blocks, and sophomore Jayven Driscoll had six rebounds and a steal.