Sophomore guard Raynard Tyler (pictured) scored a game-high 19 points to help lead the Long Beach City College men's basketball team to a 64-61 South Coast Conference win in overtime over visiting Cerritos College on Wednesday night at the Hall of Champions Gym.
After starting the season 0-9, Long Beach has now won four of its last six games and is 4-11 overall and 1-0 in the South Coast Conference South Division.
Tyler scored 15 of his 19 points in the second half and overtime period. With Long Beach up 30-27, Tyler scored back-to-back buckets to open the second half and put LBCC up 34-29 less than a minute into the period.
The Vikings led for the majority of the second half and appeared to be on their way to the win after Tyler's jumper put LBCC up 57-51 with 3:19 to go. But the Falcons responded with a pair of free throws by Anthony Holiday and baskets by Darius Williams and Anthony Scott to tie the game 57-57 with 1:23 remaining.
Willie Edwards missed a potential game-winning shot with 34 seconds left in regulation and then turned the ball over with three seconds left, sending the contest to overtime.
Neither team made a field goal in the overtime period, but Long Beach converted on seven of eight free throws to pull out the win. Sophomore Kristen Owens' block of a three-point try by Cerritos' Kierre Beverly with 1:12 to go in OT proved to be a big play.
Owens and freshman Tyler Tuliau both posted eight points and five rebounds. Sophomore Jared Garber had a team-best eight rebounds to go with five points.
Scott led Cerritos (8-7, 0-1 SCC) with 14 points. Edwards had 12 points off the bench and Beverly led all with 11 rebounds.
The LBCC men return to action on Friday (Jan. 6) when they travel to LA Southwest College for a 7 p.m. SCC game.
Photo by John Fajardo
