Head Coach Ryan Frazer got to show off his 2022-23 Pasadena City College men's basketball team to the home faithful and the Lancers did not disappoint as they won all three of their games at the 5th Skip Robinson Classic played Nov. 17-19 at Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium.
Frazer, in his first season at PCC after leading MiraCosta College to the CCCAA State Championship Tournament last season, has directed PCC to a 4-3 start.
The Lancers opened things with its first 100-point game in nine years in a 102-58 rout over Barstow on Nov. 17. Ironically, PCC last performed the century mark feat against Barstow (101-81) in a 2013 Nov. home tournament contest (then called the John J. Kennedy Tournament).
In that win, a Nurridin Abdur-Rahmann layup capped a 13-0 spurt to open the game. A Shant Chenorhavorian layup extended it to 28-4 and a thundering dunk by Jonathan Tchengang gave PCC a 49-22 halftime lead. The Lancers reached the 100 club plateau with 51 seconds remaining on Brandon Torimaru's corner trey. Torimaru, a letterman guard, scored 17 points, including five 3-pointers, while transfer Tchengang matched him on 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Six different Pasadena players scored in double figures including 14 by Nigel Wilson, 11 each by Myles Watkins and Abdur-Rahmann (5-for-5 from the floor), and 10 off the bench (and five assists) from Brad'n Archer. Twelve of the team's 13 players who played scored points.
On Nov. 18, PCC continued the 6-team, round robin tourney by outplaying local rival Glendale, 85-74. The Lancers led by as much as 12 points in the first half and settled for a 48-41 lead. Every time the Vaqueros made a push, Pasadena responded. Glendale got to within four several times, the last at 74-70 with two minutes left. Rande Harper made a jumper-and-one after a foul and with the Vaqueros forced to fouling with time running out allowed the Lancers to sink six free throws down the stretch to pull away.
Watkins led another balanced scoring attack with 15 points, followed by Harper and Wilson scoring 14 each, then Jayden Winfrey tallying 12 points with seven rebounds and six assists. Tchengang added 11 points and seven boards.
The Lancers closed the home tourney with a 74-51 victory over LA Pierce. Watkins made a layup and hit back-to-back 3s that gave PCC a 14-0 lead to start the game. By the time Jordan Flowers sank two free throws with 10:39 left in the half, the Lancers lead had grown to 29-4. Like the Barstow win, Frazer's squad worked on playing sound basketball and kept the lead above 20 points the last 20 minutes.
Watkins scored 13 points in just 17 minutes of work while Torimaru made the most of his time (14 minutes) by hitting four triples for his 12 points. Tchengang also scored 12 points and Winfrey again showed his skill at point guard with 10 assists, a team-high eight rebounds and two points.
PCC takes a break through Thanksgiving weekend and then return for a 5 p.m. South Coast Conference crossover game v. pre-season #5-ranked Cerritos (4-0) at the HP Gym on Monday, Nov. 28. Tip-off is 5 p.m.
5th SKIP ROBINSON CLASSIC Results
at PCC's Hutto-Patterson Gym
Thursday, Nov. 17
Glendale 74, LA Pierce 59
Mt. San Antonio 60, Antelope Valley 54
LANCERS 102, Barstow 58
Friday, Nov. 18
Mt. San Antonio 91, Barstow 72
Antelope Valley 82, LA Pierce 55
LANCERS 85, Glendale 74
Saturday, Nov. 19**
Antelope Valley 88, Barstow 64
Mt. San Antonio 76, Glendale 73
LANCERS 74, LA Pierce 51