For the first 23 minutes, Pasadena City College battled host El Camino College as the two teams were tied at 43-43 in the South Coast Conference men's basketball crossover contest. The Lancers then stepped on the accelerator, scoring 17 unanswered points over the next four minutes on their way to a 90-63 victory. Pasadena outscored the Warriors, 54-27, in the second half.
PCC (2-2) was paced by frosh guard Chris Odionu, who scored 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Odionu was 8-for-14 from the field and was busy at the free throw line, making 10-for-16. Transfer sophomore forward Chris Blount also reached a double-double on 17 points and 13 boards (7-for-9 at the line) while freshman guard Khristion Courseault drilled four 3-pointers as part of his 15 points. First-year guard Giovonni Jackson, who scored six points and made a couple of steals during the big scoring run, added 11 total points off the bench.
The Lancers were solid beyond the 3-point circle, making 50 percent of their shots (8-for-16) and controlled the post, outrebounding the Warriors, 49-32.
PCC ended 1-2 at the Ventura We Play Hard Tournament. After a season-opening, double overtime win over Moorpark, the Lancers got 17 points from sophomore guard Josiah Woods in a 67-57 loss to the host Pirates. Then in the third place final, PCC played tough against Riverside City College, leading the Tigers as late, 61-56, with only two minutes to play. But Riverside rallied and won the game with 15 seconds left on a CJ Clark jumper, 64-61. Blount came off the bench to total 16 points and 11 rebounds while Odionu added 15 points.
Pasadena will play in front of the home fans for the first time in 2018-19 when it hosts the 2nd Skip Robinson Classic Thursday, Nov. 15-to-Saturday, Nov. 17 at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium. The Lancers open with a 7 p.m. game on Thursday v. Pierce College.
The tourney is named after Robinson, the former athletic director and PCC Sports Hall of Famer whose legacy at PCC started in 1966 as an All-American defensive back on the Junior Rose Bowl football team. He later coached two state champion men's track and field teams and served as AD during the construction of Robinson Stadium (named after Jackie and Mack Robinson, no relation to Skip) and the HP Gym. He was the first African-American physical education instructor hired by the college in 1970. Robinson is still active in the community and is expected to make an appearance at the tourney.
The Skip Robinson Classic tourney bracket is the following link:
http://pcclancers.com/sports/mbkb/2018-19/files/18menbbskipbracket.pdf