Huskies Drop Back-and-Forth Battle in OT Heartbreaker

(written via AI... mostly)

(thumbnail courtesy of shotwithav)

East Los Angeles College battled Saddleback College, one of the perrenial powers of the Orange Empire Conference, in a tight contest Thursday night. The Huskies held a four-point lead with 47 seconds left, but couldn't close the door on the Bobcats as a pair Mark Reichner free throws tied the game at 66 with .2 left. Then in overtime, East LA's defense struggled to contain Saddleback's scoring as ELAC let Saddleback escape the "E-rena" with an 81–76 overtime victory.

The Huskies (5-6) made a late push in the second half, turning what was a nine-point deficit with 18:09 left to a seven point lead 3:41 left. 

ELAC was led by sophomore PG Jayden Barnes, who delivered one of his best performances of the season with 19 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and three steals in 38 minutes. Barnes consistently attacked the paint and knocked down key free throws late to give the Huskies multiple chances to lock down a much-needed win. Freshman F Adrionne Marcus was a force on the interior and a putback menace, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds (six offensive) on an efficient 9-for-12 shooting night. Sophomore F Terrence Hampton struggled with his interior scoring but still managed a double-double of his own with 11 points and 12 boards.

After trailing 40–33 at the break, ELAC tightened up defensively and found better rhythm offensively in the second half. A balanced effort helped the Huskies claw all the way back, turning what was a nine-point deficit with 18:09 left to a seven point lead 3:41 left. Off the bench, Freshman G Ilyes Lear provided a spark for the Huskies with 11 points, knocking down three triples to help fuel the comeback.

In the extra session, Saddleback leaned on a lucky three-point bank shot and consistently driving into the paint for layups, edging ELAC 15–10. The Gauchos were led by F Charlie Stallings' 25 points, including five three-pointers, while G Mark Reichner chipped in 18 points.

HUSKY BITS

• ELAC finished the night with a strong effort on the glass, outrebounding Saddleback 56–35, including 18 offensive rebounds. But...
• Turnovers (22 for ELAC versus 14 for Saddleback) and issues with late-game defensive execution derailed the Huskies' dominance on the boards.

UP NEXT:

The Pack will look to rest and reset during Christmas week as they're on an uncharacteristic four-game losing streak. The last time ELAC men's basketball lost four or more games in a row was during the 2014-15 season. They'll make their annual post-Christmas trip down to the San Diego area for the Cuyamaca College Classic starting the Sunday after Christmas.