The Cerritos College men’s basketball team advanced to the next round of the playoffs after taking down MiraCosta 67-70 in what would be a game that came down to the final buzzer.
The Falcons were already at a disadvantage in this game given the fact that they were a much smaller team than the Spartans.
And the height advantage in the first half showed as the Spartans were able to crash on the board more effectively in the first couple of minutes of the game.
“What happened during our pre-game was he told us (Russ May) we have to get the board, so he kept reiterating that, and eventually we started to get the boards a little better,” said Falcons assistant coach Jordan Littlejohn.
But Cerritos would put in Cameron McCoy who gave them the much-needed length in the paint to defend MiraCosta’s tallest player Kai Burdick who was 6’11.
McCoy also gave the Falcons a much-needed spark on both sides of the ball putting up 8 points in the first half along with three steals and a block.
“We all could play but I feel like me coming off the bench gives us an extra spark, and I feel like I bring something off the bench we all love like the fire and energy,” said McCoy.
It was a great game defensively for both teams in the first half with both the Falcons and Spartans shooting under 45% from the field while turning over the ball 17 times combined.
After the slow start, both offenses came out of the break hot with both teams trading baskets early on.
This high-tempo style of play favored an energized Falcons team who jumped out to a 62 – 54 lead with 6:42 left on the clock.
The offensive surge was led by guard Miles Ceballos with 11 points and 3 assists in the second half. He finished as the team-leading scorer with 17 points.
However, momentum in the second half shifted often and MiraCosta battled back to tie the game late.
Coach May emphasized the importance of staying level-headed with his team as the momentum shifted.
“We’ve been talking about poise and staying steady, and not getting too high or too low, don’t look back or far forward, try to stay in the moment and make a play and we have been through some tough games this year and hopefully that was maybe part of us being able to make a play or two down the stretch”, said May.
The Falcons were given two opportunities to take the lead in the final minute of the game at the free-throw line.
But the Falcons would go 1/4 in those attempts giving them only a one-point lead.
A silence fell over The Aviary as both teams’ fans anxiously waited to watch how the final possession would unfold.
As the ball was inbounded the Falcons played tough defense forcing a miss that was rebounded by The Spartans, their final shot bounced off the rim into the hands of Taeo Thomas who was immediately fouled.
Thomas was sent to the line and made the last two free throws giving the Falcons the game.
The win means the Falcons move on to the second round of the playoffs to face their toughest challenge of the season yet as they take on the number one ranked team Fullerton on the road on Mar. 2 at 7 p.m.
“We got to play with the mentality that they are on the same level as us, and we could win any game we can,” said Ceballos.
