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HomeSportsMen's Basketball clinches conference championship with win against LA Southwest College

Men’s Basketball clinches conference championship with win against LA Southwest College

Story and Photos by Arlene Guerrero


Freshmen guard Jace Bass set a career-high total of 39 points leading Long Beach City College men’s basketball team with the last victory win of regular season by a score of 103-86 against visiting team L.A. Southwest Cougars on Feb 22.

Vikings were up the entire game and ended the first half with a score of 51-38, never giving the Cougars a chance to take the lead.

Long Beach City College celebrated Sophomore Night and honored the eight sophomores on the team, Jordan Heard, Garrett Roberts, Nicolas Stuart, Daniel Canales, Matthew Wooten, Jeremiah Sadler, Jamiu Akinbile, and Charles Smith.

Vikings were 72% at the line, and 39.3% at the three pointer mark.

Sophomore Jordan Heard made three consecutive three pointers along with Sophomore Daniel Canales making two consecutive three pointers both within the first two minutes of entering the game.

Aside from guard Jace Bass, forwards Charles Smith, and Matthew Wooten also finished the game in double digits.

Smith ending with 11 points, five rebounds, one assist and Wooten ending with 12 points, eight rebounds, and one assist.

Along with setting a career-high with 39 points, Bass finished with six assists, two steals, and 11 rebounds.

Bass pushed through the game on defense as well as offense leaving the first half with 27 points.

“I let the game come to me, and I’m just blessed that it happened. We got our win and now we make the next move, playoffs,” said Bass.

Vikings were ranked by state No. 10 and share the title with Cerritos College of South Coast Conference Co-Champions after the win on Friday night as both teams went 9-1 in the South West Conference.

Throughout the season, The Vikings worked together as one and ended the season how they wanted.

“Our team improved on playing together as one team, in the beginning it was just one man but we succeeded in working together and finished the regular season making it to the playoffs,” Bass added.

Vikings pushed to end the season with a win and succeeded in accomplishing what they planned and worked for.

Vikings got their first conference championship since 2015, as they finished the regular season with the record of 24-4, and having nine consecutive wins.

“This season was perfect and it’s always a blessing coaching these young men and seeing them progress throughout the season,” said head coach Barry Barnes.

“All coaches at the beginning of the season want to win, win the conference, and get to the playoffs, and sometimes those dreams don’t come true, but everything we wanted came true.”

Having the same goal, assistant coach Carl Robinson was proud of the boys as they showed hard work throughout the whole season and showed defense in every game.

“We came on a mission, all having the same ultimate goal to stick together as a family and get our spot in the payoffs, We all carried eachother like glue, and we did it” said Robinson.

Vikings start first round of playoffs next week, schedule to be announced soon.

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