In order to defeat the Grossmont Griffins on Nov. 30, the Cerritos College Falcons men’s basketball team will have to make a few adjustments in practice after losing their fourth straight game to begin the 2012 season.

Head coach Russ May talks about what needs to be done in the practices leading up to the Grossmont Tournament.

“We’re going to change some things up and try to find a winning combination. We’re not just going to sit still and let it (the season) go.”

The decision to make a change in tactics comes after a 92-81 non-conference loss to the Santa Ana College Dons in spite of the Falcons’ 54.7% field goal percentage.

The Falcons turned the ball over 28 times, allowing the Dons to score 25 points off turnovers.

“We’re not executing fundamentally”, May said.

”We did a good job when we took care of the ball but then we gave up too many opportunities.”

During the 2010 season the Falcons made it to the finals of the annual Grossmont Tournament and look forward to making another run at it this season.

Sophomore point guard Manny Garcia mentioned what changes he expects to see in the game against the Griffins, after exercising them in practice.

“Right now we’re trying to change our offense and have a better tempo with it, and on defense we’re trying to pressure the ball more.”

According to the head coach, another factor working against the Falcons, aside from their many turnovers, is the absence of several key players due to injuries as well as the lack of experience in the lineup.

“We’re hoping that the younger guys can mature a little quicker”, May said.

In his first year with the Falcons, after transferring from Cypress College’s basketball program, sophomore forward DeAnthony Roberts talks about some of the elements that he believes the team lacks such as communication and ball control.

“It’s frustrating because it’s not happening and I’m not used to that.”

He does however feel that these are elements of the Falcons’ game that can be improved.

“It starts with practice. You’ve got to fix it in practice. If you don’t do it in practice, you can’t expect to do it in the game.”

Coach May also believes practice is the place to plan a winning strategy.

“We need to get started here and try to find a win down in San Diego by playing one possession at a time, not one game at a time, one possession.” May explained.

There will be eight colleges competing in the tournament with the Falcons playing their first game at 6 p.m. at Grossmont College in San Diego.