Hawks Fend off Panthers in Final Minute

It came down to the wire on Tuesday night as the Santiago Canyon College men's basketball team faced off against the Chaffey College Panthers on the road. In a thrilling back-and-forth contest, there were 15 lead changes and seven ties. Ultimately, it was a pair of clutch plays in the final minute that sealed the Hawks' 90-87 victory.

After taking a three-point lead into halftime, both teams exchanged blows throughout the second half. With just over four minutes remaining, the game was tied at 78-all following a Chaffey three-pointer.

Freshman forward Connor McKee gave the Hawks a brief lead by grabbing an offensive rebound on a missed three-point attempt, drawing a foul on his putback attempt, and converting one of two free throws.

Two possessions later, McKee again made a crucial play, stealing the ball on defense and earning a trip to the free-throw line. He calmly knocked down both shots to put the Hawks back in front.

The teams traded baskets in the following possessions, with sophomore guard Tony Colley hitting a layup for the Hawks and freshman guard EJ Bryson adding two free throws to keep the game tight.

With under a minute remaining, Santiago Canyon extended its lead to five points after Bryson drove the lane and dished out a pass to freshman guard Efe Gucoglu, who buried a three-pointer to put the Hawks up 88-85.

Despite trailing, the Panthers responded quickly, pulling within one point after a layup and two free throws with 23 seconds left. Then, with the clock winding down, sophomore guard Eli Arthurton turned the ball over, but managed to steal it right back just seconds later.

Both Arthurton and freshman guard Colin Weems drew fouls and went to the free-throw line, each splitting their opportunities. Arthurton, who was sent to the line with just four seconds remaining, missed his second shot, giving Chaffey one final chance to tie the game. However, Bryson swooped in to poke the ball away, securing the Hawks' 90-87 victory.

The game was tightly contested, with both teams playing evenly, but the Hawks slightly outshot the Panthers. SCC finished with a 43.2% shooting percentage and outrebounded Chaffey 48-43. Free-throw shooting was a struggle for both teams, with the Hawks converting just 60% of their attempts. Santiago Canyon also turned the ball over 19 times, though it was an improvement from their previous game.

Gucoglu led the Hawks with 21 points off the bench, hitting 5 of 10 from beyond the arc and shooting 8-for-13 overall. Colley added a double-double with 18 points and 13 rebounds. Bryson reached double digits for the first time in his career, scoring 14 points while also recording seven rebounds and dishing out eight assists, flirting with a triple-double.