Rams Start Title Defense with Back-To-Back Wins
By halftime, the defending state champions led Butte College by 30 and never looked back, cruising to a 105-63 win in the opening game of the CCSF Tip-Off Classic.
By Abby Sigler
abby.sigler@gmail.com
The slam echoed through the gym as City College’s Elliot Conley threw down an alley-oop late in the first half of Saturday’s season opener, and the message was loud and clear.
The champs are back, baby.
By halftime, the defending state champions led Butte College by 30 and never looked back, cruising to a 105-63 win in the opening game of the CCSF Tip-Off Classic.
Returning sophomore Dominic Williams led the onslaught with 13 points.
Coming off a remarkable 32-1 campaign, the Rams hope to repeat last year’s success. In their first official game since the state title match, they needed a few minutes to find their rhythm against the Roadrunners (15-14 last season).
Early on, the offense missed easy looks and struggled to finish at the rim. Ten minutes in, the Rams started clicking, and it was bombs away.
Freshman guard Jordy McKenzie and Williams each hit three-pointers — two of the team’s 12 — to stretch the lead to 28-16 as the team’s pace and confidence grew.
“We were just playing inside out, hitting the post a lot,” freshman guard Conley told The Guardsman. “That’s kind of what we do here — put it in, [then] get it out to our guys that can shoot.”
On defense, City ran its trademark full-court press and attacked Butte on nearly every possession, forcing turnovers and converting fast-break opportunities.
The Rams opened the second half by asserting their physical edge. On the first possession, they grabbed three straight offensive rebounds before freshman Shane Lincoln scored on a put-back layup.
The undersized Roadrunners could not keep up in the paint, as City towered over nearly every matchup. The Rams boast three redwoods this season: 6-foot-7 freshman forward Kirby Seals, 6-foot-8 sophomore Jaeden Hutchins, and 6-foot-9 freshman forward Kenyon Demuynck.
On offense, the lanky Demuynck — a product of Link Academy in Missouri — stepped outside to hit a three-pointer. Then on the next trip down, he faked a defender into the air for an easy lay-in. Seals followed with a baseline spin and finish that pushed the lead to 80-40.
“We played really hard and tough,” head coach Justin Labagh said. “I don’t know how functional that was, though. I thought we got really sloppy.”
With a massive lead in hand, focus lagged. Fouls stacked up, Williams left the court after a hard fall, and transition defense slowed.
“Dropping 100 points is not that easy,” Conley said. “I thought it was pretty impressive offensively, but defensively we kind of gave up in the second half.”
On Sunday, City defeated Santa Rosa Junior College, 64-51, to close the weekend. “We’ve got to beat these guys at home while we can,” Coach Labagh said of the Bear Cubs, who went 23-7 last season. “They’re like a Final Eight team.”
City returns to the court at 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7, to face College of the Redwoods (21-8 last season) at home.
