With the news that sophomores Myles Watkins and Deen Abdur-Rahmann were selected to the All-South Coast Conference North Division First Team, the Pasadena City College men's basketball team grabbed the #15 seed for the start of the Southern California Regional Playoffs this week.
The Lancers (18-10 overall record) finished in a tie for second place in the SCC North with East Los Angeles, both at 7-3 (#3 seed Mt. San Antonio won the title), and earned a home playoff game. They will host SCC South foe and #18 Los Angeles Southwest on Wednesday, Feb. 28 in a First Round game as part of a playoff doubleheader at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium. Tip-off is 5:30 p.m. and is followed by the PCC women v. LA Valley at 7:30 p.m.
It's the second straight year that head coach Ryan Frazer has directed PCC to the postseason after last year's trip to the Regional Finals and a 22-9 first season at the college.
Frazer has a 40-19 overall record (.678) in turning around a program that had just one victory in 2021-2022 and had been to the playoffs just three times between 2004 through 2019. It is also the team's second straight second place finish in the difficult SCC North.
Since records were tracked in 1996-97, PCC is 10-15 in the series v. LA Southwest, but defeated the Cougars this season, 82-63, in a conference crossover game on Jan. 12.
If PCC defeats LASW, it would then travel to face #2 seed San Diego City College on Saturday, Mar. 2 in a Round 2 game. Game time for that contest is 7 p.m.
In the team's finale on Friday, Pasadena downed visiting Rio Hondo, 78-57, on Sophomore Night. In that win, the Lancers celebrated their seven sophomores in a pre-game ceremony, then had 10 different players score points led by Abdur-Rahmann with 17 and nine rebounds. Watkins added 16 points, seven boards and six assists while freshman Dylan Swillis chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds.
Sophomore starting guard Shant Chenorhavorian contributed nine points and seven rebounds, reserve frosh forward TiJuan Lumpkin had eight points and three rebounds, starting freshman point guard Jalen Vazquez recorded five points, six assists and four steals. Off the bench, frosh guard Kaiden Fine tallied five points, freshman guard Barry Knight four points, and sophomore guard Jalyn White had three points and seven boards.
Other sophomores playing in their final regular season home game were guards Brad'n Archer and Micah Jernigan, and center John Parmeter-Zapata.
PCC won on the road over Los Angeles City, 69-63, behind Chenorhavorian's 22 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals on Feb. 21. Watkins poured in 19 points, six rebounds and four assists while Abdur-Rahmann scored 16 points.
The Lancers opened a 10-0 lead and never trailed the Cubs, taking a 32-27 halftime advantage. In the second half, LACC tied it at 47-47, and were within two on a Luke Olmstead 3-pointer at 59-57 with three minutes left. But Chenorhavorian sank a three, Watkins hit a layup and Abdur-Rahmann swished a jumper to put the win on ice.
ALL-SOUTH COAST CONFERENCE
Averaging a team-high 17.9 points a game, 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists, Watkins was named to the 11-man, All-SCC North First Team along with Abdur-Rahmann, who is averaging 13.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and was fourth in the conference in with 58 baskets from 3-point range.
Chenorhavorian received an All-SCC honorable mention after averaging 14 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.9 steals per contest. The letterman guard was third in the SCC in 3-pointers with 72 bombs. Swillis also gained SCC honorable mention after a regular season averaging 11.8 points and 6.4 rebounds.
COMPLETE ALL-SCC TEAM, click here
THREE CURRENT PLAYERS PART OF 500-POINT CLUB
Watkins keeps climbing up the PCC All-Time Scoring List, now 20th with 855 career points (501 in this season alone). He passed Gary Pickens (853 points, 1976-78) and is chasing Terrell Stovall (19th, 873, 2002-04) and James Nichols (18th, 876, 1979-80).
Abdur-Rahmann (591 career points, 55th all-time) and Chenorhavorian (512) are the newest members of the PCC 500-Point Club. Chenorhavorian became the 76th player to ever reach 500 points in his Lancers career.
Notable on the list is former NBA Defensive Player of the Year, PCC and 3C2A State Hall of Famer, and Los Angeles Lakers great Michael Cooper (seventh all-time, 1,070 points). Sam Robinson, a member of Coach Jerry Tarkanian's 1967 Lancers state champion squad, is the PCC All-Time Leader with 1,604 points in 1966-68.
Ticket Information for Playoff Games, pricing mandated by CCCAA
$12.00–General Admission $8.00–Identified students, faculty, staff, senior citizens age 60 and over, and children less than 12 years of age
Complimentary Team band, cheerleaders/spirit crew members who are in uniform and accompanied by their supervisor(s) Coaches with up-to-date CCCMBCA and CCCWBCA Membership Cards Athletic directors with up-to-date CCCADA membership cards CCCAA Board and MC members and conference commissioners CCCAA Lifetime Pass.
