Men’s Basketball Zooms Past Grossmont

TORRANCE, Calif. --- El Camino College scored an 83-65 non-conference victory over visiting Grossmont on Wednesday night at the ECC Gym Complex.

The Warriors (5-6) used blistering hot shooting and the transition game to pull away from the Griffins in the second half for the win. Five players scored in double figures for the Warriors as the team shot a collective 54.5 percent from the field in the victory.

The game was fast from the jump as both teams got up and down at a blistering pace. The whistle also took a break on Wednesday as the teams combined for just 27 fouls and neither team ever got to the double bonus in either half. The Warriors outran the Griffins with a 26-14 edge in fast-break points. They also won the battle on the inside with a 48-40 edge in points in the paint.

The Warriors never trailed in the game but were nursing just a three-point lead heading into halftime. But the Warriors came out of the locker room on fire with a 12-0 run that essentially put the game out of reach. The Warriors led by as much as 23 in the second half where they shot 60 percent (20-for-33) from the field.

Billy Ray Barnes III led the way with 19 points, six rebounds, four assists, three blocks and three steals on 9-for-11 shooting. Zachary Bates added 13 points with five steals and four rebounds with Shamar Carter contributing 11 points and a career-high eight steals with five rebounds and two blocks. Vaitai Tuione scored 12 points with Stefan Brakels adding two blocks on a night where the Warriors recorded 10 total blocks.

The Warriors will play their final game of the 2023 calendar year on Friday evening when they travel to face Glendale for a 1 p.m. tipoff.