Canyons Advances to Championship Game of Cougar Holiday Classic, Falls to Mt. SAC
Team Stats
Santa Barbara
| Game Statistics | Santa Barbara | Canyons |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (23-52) | (32-68) |
| Field Goal % | 44.2% | 47.1% |
| Rebounds | 35 | 36 |
| Assists | 11 | 19 |
| Turnovers | 15 | 8 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 11 | 25 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 7 | 14 |
| Pts in the Paint | 24 | 46 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 0 | 0 |
| Bench Pts | 34 | 38 |
Mt. San Antonio
| Game Statistics | Mt. San Antonio | Canyons |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (30-63) | (20-53) |
| Field Goal % | 47.6% | 37.7% |
| Rebounds | 38 | 36 |
| Assists | 14 | 12 |
| Turnovers | 9 | 11 |
| Pts off Turnovers | 20 | 14 |
| 2nd Chance Pts | 18 | 14 |
| Pts in the Paint | 28 | 18 |
| Fastbreak Pts | 0 | 0 |
| Bench Pts | 44 | 46 |
By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director
College of the Canyons lost to Mt. San Antonio College in the championship game of the 35th Annual Cougar Holiday Classic, ending a two-day tourney run that also saw COC defeat Santa Barbara City College in the opener.
Canyons (8-5) defeated Santa Barbara 85-72 to begin the tournament on Dec. 29, behind four Cougars that finished in double figures. Tops in that group was Dwayne Boston Jr. who finished with 15 points after going 5-of-7 from the floor.
Elsewhere, it was freshman center Craig Irons with 13 points and a game-high eight rebounds, while Muhammad Butler and Thomas Pickens chipped in with 12 points each.
The Cougars committed just eight turnovers in the game and combined to shoot better than 47 percent from the field. COC started the game with a 60 percent shooting mark in the opening half as Irons and Boston combined for 21 points to help establish an early 50-35 lead.
Santa Barbara (10-5) entered the tournament having won back-to-back games but were handed a pair of tourney losses. After falling to COC in the opener the Vaqueros were handed an 87-80 loss by Orange Coast College on day two.
In day two action, Canyons was matched up with Mt. SAC in the tourney's championship game for a third straight year. The Mounties played to a 92-79 victory over COC, its third in as many meetings, to also extend its current win streak to seven games.
Pickens led all scorers with 22 points. Boston and was next with 11, while Julius Washington and Ricky Rivas finished with 10 each. Rivas also led the Cougars with eight rebounds.
Mt. SAC (12-2) was able to create separation with its prowess from behind the arc as the Mounties combined to shoot just under 52 percent from three-point territory. Seven players converted from long range in the game. Dayvon Gates led the Mounties with 18 points and Alejandro Munoz was next with 16 after going 4-of-4 on three-pointers.
Canyons will play a final non-conference contest vs. L.A. Pierce Colleg at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3, at the Cougar Cage.
Stay up to date on all this season's action by following the College of the Canyons Athletic department on social media at @COCathletics on X, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
—Photo by Robert Hanashiro/COC Sports Information
