The Cerritos College men's basketball team secured a spot in the 3C2A State Championship Tournament with a strong win on Saturday night, defeating #6 Santiago Canyon, 85-69, at The Aviary.
Cerritos used a balanced offensive attack and strong work on the glass to pull away from the Hawks, finishing the game shooting 50 percent from the field while outrebounding Santiago Canyon, 45-36.
Freshman guard Kamaury Washington led the Falcons with a game-high 22 points on an efficient 8-of-9 shooting performance. Washington also added four rebounds, three assists, and three steals to help pace the Cerritos attack. Forward Dorian Tate recorded a double-double with 18 points and a team-high 12 rebounds while contributing three assists, two steals, and a block. Guard David Mack added 15 points and dished out a team-best five assists. Off the bench, Elijah Gelin provided a major spark for Cerritos, finishing with 18 points and eight rebounds. Gelin connected on four of his five three-point attempts to help the Falcons stretch their lead in the second half.
The Falcons controlled the boards throughout the contest, pulling down 14 offensive rebounds that helped create second-chance opportunities. Cerritos also finished with 15 assists and eight steals in a game they controlled on both ends of the floor.
Santiago Canyon was led by Paris Lassiter with 16 points, while Jayden Oei added 13 points and Matt Mendias chipped in 12 points and six rebounds.
With the victory, the Falcons earned the south's #3 seed in the State Championship Tournament and will face #2 seeded Santa Rosa from the North on Friday, March 13 at College of the Sequoias.
