El Cajon – The men's basketball team is riding a two-game win streak after winning two of three contests at the Grossmont Tournament over the weekend. The Chargers posted identical scores (69-58) in wins over both LA Southwest and Cerritos to win the consolation final as Jerred Cook was named to the All-Tournament team. With its record now at 3-5, Cypress is off to its best start since the 2011-12 season.
Consolation Final vs. Cerritos
The Chargers were in control from the start and held a large 30-17 lead at the halftime break. In the final 20 minutes of play, Cypress was able to maintain its lead and go on to win 69-58. Four Chargers scored in double-digits, led by Cook's 15. Nolan Kelly added 14, while both Austin Payne and Jeremy Wright chipped in 11. All of Cook's points came from three-pointers as the team shot season-high percentages in field goal (42%), free throw (79%) and behind the arc (44%). The team also tallied 19 assists with Cook and Jordan Fleck each tallying four.
Game 2 vs. LA Southwest
LA Southwest got off to a hot start and led by as many as 12 with 11 minutes to play in the first, but Cypress charged back and tied the game at 33 heading into halftime. Just seconds into the second half, Cypress was able to take the lead after a jump shot by Cook. LA Southwest was able to tie the game at 41 three minutes in, but the Chargers would go on a 19-4 run to lead 68-45 with just under 10 minutes to play. Cypress would maintain its lead and come out the victory, 69-58. Four players scored in double-digits, highlighted by Jordan Fleck's team-high 17. Isaiah Taylor had his best game of the season, tallying a double-double, the second for a Charger this season, with 10 points and 13 rebounds. Cook added 11, while Wright added 10 points.
Game 1 vs. Grossmont
In the opening game of the tournament, the Chargers faced host team Grossmont. At the halftime break, the Griffins led 30-26. In the second half, the Chargers were able to take the lead on multiple occasions and held a three-point lead with just over a minute to play. Grossmont was able to close within 54-53 with 50 seconds left. Austin Payne had the chance to give Cypress a three-point lead, but missed both of his free throw attempts as Grossmont got the ball with just five seconds to play. After a missed jumper and offensive rebound, Grossmont was able to steal the victory with a buzzer-beating jump shot, giving the Griffins a 55-54 win. Wright, Kelly and Cook each scored 13 points to lead the Chargers in scoring.
Up Next
Cypress will continue tournament play, this time heading to Santa Barbara Dec. 11-13. The team will first face off with LA Valley (2-4) on Thursday, Dec. 11 at 3:00 pm.
