Canyons Takes Down No. 18 West L.A. 92-73

By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director 

College of the Canyons scored a season-high 92 points to down No. 18 ranked West L.A. College 92-73 at the Cougar Cage on Wednesday night.

The conference victory was the second straight, and third in the last four games, for Canyons (12-7, 3-2) which also improved its home record to 5-4 on the season.

The Cougars got off to a hot start and built a 12-4 advantage across the first five minutes of action. 

Thomas Pickens paced Canyons in the first half with a team-high 11 points and finished the game with 15 points, one of six Cougars, including all five starters, to finish in double figures.

The Wildcats battled back to tie the game at 27-27 with 6:06 to go in the half and briefly took a 30-29 advantage just a few moments later. However, Ricky Rivas' jumper late in the half ensured that Canyons took a 39-38 edge into the halftime locker room.

Pickens tied for the team high with Dwayne Boston Jr. and Donovan Cornelius at 15 points apiece. Sophomore Wyatt Wilson was next with a 14-point night that included a 4-of-6 mark from three-point territory. Cornelius and Boston both connected for a pair of three pointers as the Cougars combined to shoot just under 48 percent from long range in the game.

Craig Irons pulled down a season-high 16 rebounds, including five on the offensive end, to go with 13 points, two assists and a pair of blocks. Julius Washington ended the night with 11 points. Boston was the team leader with four assists.

Canyons stayed hot down the stretch, outscoring the Wildcats 53-35 in the second half to close things out. COC connected on five three pointers in the period and shot 63 percent from the floor as a team. West L.A. couldn't keep pace with a mark of just over 32 percent in the half.

West L.A. (13-6, 3-2) entered the game as the No. 18 ranked team in the state according to the most recent California Community College Men's Basketball Coaches Association (CCCMBCA) poll released Jan. 19. The loss vs. Canyons was the second straight for WLAC after falling to Antelope Valley in its previous outing.

The Wildcats were led by 20 points from Chase Coleman. Malachi Knight was the only other player in double figures with 12 points. Jase Stewart led the West L.A. reserves with eight points and 10 rebounds.

The win over West L.A. was the first for Canyons since the 2019-20 season, a span of 11 meetings. 

The Cougars will next host Santa Monica College (4-15, 1-4) at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24 on Lee Smelser Court at the Cougar Cage. That game will be live streamed to fans free of charge via YouTube on the Cougars Sports Network.

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