The Pasadena City College men's basketball team continues to get closer to gaining a postseason berth after taking sole possession of third place in the South Coast Conference North Division Friday night. The visiting Lancers beat state #23-ranked LA Trade Tech for the second time in conference play, 80-73, to even their SCC mark at 4-4 and up their overall record to 16-10.
PCC is a game ahead of Trade Tech, a team that lost its fourth straight and fell to 17-8, 3-5.
Playing without point guard Khristion Courseault the past few games due to injury, the Lancers have made adjustments with Giovonni Jackson stepping into a bigger role in the Lancers offense. Jackson was a perfect 4-for-4 beyond the 3-point circle and 5-for-6 at the free throw line for 17 points and added five assists and five rebounds. Forward Chris Blount led the team with 19 points and pulled down eight rebounds. Center Jordan Simpson posted a double-double for the ninth time this season on 11 points and 13 boards to go with four blocks and three assists.
Guard Josiah Woods contributed 16 points and reserve guard Rod Terry tallied eight points. PCC was strong on long-range shots, making 10-for-19 on 3s. After falling behind briefly at 14-13, the Lancers never trailed over the final 33 minutes. Woods layup with four seconds left in the first half gave PCC a 33-31 lead going into intermission. In the second half, the Lancers grabbed control and built the lead to as much as 19 points, 66-47, on a Blount 3-pointer with nine minutes remaining. Although the Beavers made a late surge, Pasadena never let the lead fall below six points.
Mark Chin scored a game-high 21 points to lead Trade Tech.
On Feb. 13, Simpson scored 14 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 73-65 loss at state #4 and North Division leader East Los Angeles. Both Blount and reserve guard Patric Panoosi scored 13 points and Terry netted 10 points.
PCC makes its final regular season home appearance on Wednesday, Feb. 20 in a key game v. Mt. San Antonio, also tied for fourth with Trade Tech at 3-5 (11-14 overall). The Mounties defeated the Lancers in the first round of conference and would hold any tiebreaker over PCC with a Pasadena loss.