Five players scored in double figures for #11 LA Southwest, which took control midway through the first half and cruised to an easy 79-63 win over host El Camino Friday night in South Coast Conference South Division action.
LA Southwest (20-7, 6-1) maintained its lead in the SCC-South, avoiding a letdown after a dramatic 2-point win over Long Beach City on Wednesday. And the win lifted the Cougars to the coveted 20-win plateau for the season.
Friday, the Cougars jumped out to an 18-7 lead midway through the first half after a 3-pointer by PG Ralph Williams, and pushed the lead to 15 points at 24-9 after a lay-up by SF Stephon Dafney and a steal & jam by Ctr Shannen Garner. At that point, El Camino (15-8, 3-3) had made just 4 of 21 shots (19%) with 8 turnovers.
Southwest held a 14-point lead at the break, and quickly expanded the margin once the second half started. A 3-point play by Williams made it 39-22. Baskets by SG Thurman Thomas and SF Robert Wade pushed the margin to 20 points at 48-28. Baskets by Garner, PF Jarrett Cunningham and Thomas made it 54-29, and then Garner knocked down a hook shot to make it 56-29 midway through the second half.
El Camino put together a mild rally late, highlighted by a couple of 3-pointers by PG Joshua Wilson that cut the deficit to 14 points at 76-62, but never really threatened to catch the Cougars.
Williams finished with game-highs of 20 pts, 8 asts and 3 steals. Garner had 19 pts and a game-high 12 rebs, and added 3 asts, 2 blocks and 2 steals. Thomas had 16 points and Wade came off the bench for 11. Cunningham had a double-double with 11 pts and 10 rebs.
For El Camino, Wilson led the way with 19 pts, including 4 threes, plus team-highs of 11 rebs, 4 asts and 2 steals. Ctr Julian Camper came off the bench for 13 pts, and SF Christen Clark had 10 pts, 6 rebs and 3 asts.
box score
Friday, February 10, 2012 - 7 pm
at El Camino College, Torrance
South Coast Conference - South Division
LA Southwest Cougars 79:
2-Stephon Dafney, SF - 1/4 fg, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 stl, 3 pf, 2 pts
10-Thurman Thomas, SG - 6/16 fg, 4/4 ft, 2 reb, 2 ast, 3 pf, 16 pts
11-Ralph Williams, PG - 5/9 fg, 8/11 ft, 4 reb, 8 ast, 3 stl, 2 pf, 20 pts
15-Jarrett Cunningham, PF - 5/9 fg, 10 reb, 3 ast, 2 pf, 11 pts
42-Shannen Garner, C - 9/14 fg, 1/2 ft, 12 reb, 3 ast, 2 blk, 2 stl, 4 pf, 19 pts
22-Robert Wade, F - 5/10 fg, 6 reb, 3 ast, 1 blk, 4 pf, 11 pts
34-Lonnie Livingston, G - 0/1 fg, 1 reb, 0 pts
team rebounds: 5
Totals: 31/63 fg (.492), 13/17 ft (.765), 43 reb, 21 ast, 4 blk, 6 stl, 18 pf, 79 pts
3-pt fg (4): Williams 2, Cunningham, Wade
Turnovers (17): Williams 4, Wade 4, Garner 3, Dafney 2, Thomas 2, Livingston 2
El Camino Warriors 63:
11-Christen Clark, SF - 5/6 fg, 0/3 ft, 6 reb, 3 ats, 1 pf, 10 pts
12-David Howard, SG - 2/9 fg, 2/3 ft, 6 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl, 4 pf, 8 pts
13-Joshua Wilson, PG - 6/18 fg, 3/7 ft, 11 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl, 4 pf, 19 pts
23-Cameron Gray, PF - 2/14 fg, 3/4 ft, 5 reb, 1 stl, 2 pf, 7 pts
50-Shawn Ray, C - 0/2 fg, 1 reb, 0 pts
3-Derrick Twiggs, G - 2/7 fg, 4 reb, 1 stl, 4 pf, 4 pts
40-Julian Camper, C - 4/6 fg, 5/5 ft, 3 reb, 2 ast, 1 blk, 1 pf, 13 pts
10-Jamar Cannon, F - 0/5 fg, 2 reb, 2 pf, 0 pts
34-Jonathan Furlow, F - 1/2 fg, 2 reb, 1 stl, 2 pts
5-Isaiah Hawkins, G - 0/3 fg, 1 reb, 2 ast, 0 pts
team rebounds: 5
Totals: 22/72 fg (.306), 13/22 ft (.591), 46 reb, 12 ast, 1 blk, 6 stl, 18 pf, 63 pts
3-pt fg (6): Wilson 4, Howard 2
Turnovers (18): Gray 4, Twiggs 3, Furlow 3, Clark 2, Howard 2, Wilson 2, Camper, Cannon
Halftime Score: LA Southwest 36, El Camino 22
Updated Records: LA Southwest (#11-South) 20-7, 6-1 in SCC-South; El Camino 15-8, 3-3 in SCC-South
