Men end slump with rout of Cañada

By Bontã Hill
The Guardsman

The men’s basketball team showed no ill effects from their overtime loss to rival Ohlone College and snapped their two-game losing streak on Jan. 22 against Cañada College.

City shook off their mini-funk and dusted the Colts 82-52, jumping out to an early lead and cruising to their 18th victory this season. The number three-ranked team in the state improved its record to 3-2 in Coast Conference play and 18-3 overall.

Sophomore Calvin Douglas, who has been solid offensively since his return from injury, led the Rams with 15 points, including three from three-point line. After the game, he said that his team wasn’t down after their tough loss Jan. 20 against Ohlone.

“I’ve been getting shots in after practice and that’s been translating over to the game,” Douglas said. “We’ve just been motivating each other to get back on track.”

“Calvin has been dialed in lately,” head coach Justin Labagh said. “He’s been chomping at the bit since he recovered from his blood clot. Now he’s back on the court and taking advantage of this opportunity.”

A 14-0 run midway through the first half put the Rams up 36-18 and the Colts never recovered. Sophomore guard Jarred Pengal’s three-pointer right before the first half buzzer put the  Rams up 43-23 at halftime.

The Rams were never threatened the rest of the way, and Labagh had a chance to get everybody on his bench some playing time. Pengal led all bench players with nine points.

However, Labagh knows his team can get better in all phases of the game. He intends to emphasize ball handling and defensive communication in the upcoming practices.

“We’ve got to get back to taking care of the basketball and not throwing the home run pass,” Labagh said. “Defensively, we have to talk a little more, and we’re really working on that in practice.”

Still, the reigning Coast Conference champions remain motivated and know that its defense and ball handling will carry them back to the playoffs.

“We have a deep squad and  can match up with any team top-to-bottom,” Pengal said. “Defense is really vital for our team. It’s our blood flow. We know our defense is what wins us games.”
City College won’t take the court again until Feb. 3, when they host Chabot College at the Wellness Center, with tip off at 7 p.m.

In the meantime, the Rams will have plenty of time to work their kinks out and get ready for what is shaping up to be an exciting and grueling second half of league play.