Men’s Basketball Battles Against EC-Compton Center But Ends the Night 133-124

TORRANCE, Calif. - The Warriors fought hard on Friday night against No. 5 EC-Compton Center. Despite a slow start, the Warriors came back to end the night only nine points behind, 133-124. Freshman guard Jamal Heckard not only led the Warriors in points but recorded a season high with 33 points.

The first half proved challenging for the Warriors as the Tartars were quick to take a large lead. Unable to convert their shot attempts, the Tartars led 24-4 until freshman guard Taylor Shaw made the first three point shot of the night for the Warriors. The Tartars continued with their drive as the Warriors struggled to gain a steady foothold but ultimately ended the first half only 20 points behind.

The Warriors picked up the pressure in the second half, outscoring Compton Center 65-54. Shaw gained the ball off a missed shot by the Tartars, driving it down before passing to an awaiting Che Madrid. The freshman forward then quickly threw it back to Shaw who polished off the play with a three pointer. From there, Keywhon Powns scored two shots in a row before the Tartars responded with a layup of their own.

With the clock ticking down, Madrid nailed a three before the Tartars scored their own bucket. Madrid received another pass from Brandon Guerrero to strike a three once again. With less than 10 seconds left in the game, Heckard made a final pass to Madrid who finished off with his final three pointer of the night.

Heckard was instrumental in the Warriors' efforts, he ended the night with five assists and earned a double-double in points and field goals. Heckard's 33 points puts him third in conference in points per game (19.8). Heckard also sits in fourth in three point percentage with a total of 36.3, scoring 8-15 in the match and went 3-3 on the free throw line.

"We fought hard, we could have played a little better defense in the first half," shared Heckard. "Overall I am proud of the team, second half we listened to Coach's game plan and we came out with more intensity."

"I was incredibly proud of them, their effort was incredible," stated Coach Robert Uphoff. "We had some major breakdowns in the first half that also put us in the hole early. They shared the ball exceptionally well in the second half and we were able to make some significant runs but we were never quite able to get over that hump of really cutting the lead below six."

Four other Warriors ended the night in double digits. Powns ended second in points with 19 and was a field goal away from earning a double-double. He also lead the team in rebounds (8). Madrid scored 12 points for the Warriors and totaled five rebounds. Shaw came in with 11 points for El Camino and also recorded two steals and two rebounds. Brandon Harris ended the night with 11 points for the Warriors, with three steals. Guerrero led the Warriors in assists with seven and five steals, as well as four rebounds.

"I was really proud, they did really great effort and accomplished a lot tonight in terms of some of the goals we set," finished Coach Uphoff.

The Warriors continue their conference push at LA Harbor on Wednesday, tip off is scheduled for 6pm. The Warriors now sit 2-6 in conference (11-14 overall).