Logan Louks scored 18 points with six assists and four steals on Saturday night but SBCC couldn’t reach the summit in its men’s basketball battle with first-place Hancock.
Khafu Najee scored 29 points to guide the Bulldogs to the 91-85 victory. SBCC (4-14, 0-6 WSC North) started fast, taking a 13-4 lead on a triple by Rico Failla, then fell behind 37-28 late in the first half. Hancock led 37-34 at intermission.
The Bulldogs (18-7, 5-1) took control with a 12-2 second-half run that boosted the lead to 55-46. Every time the Bulldogs started to pull away, the Vaqueros would pull within three to six points but were never able to get the lead.
Demetrius Thomas added 23 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulldogs.
Jalani Davis had 16 points and six rebounds and Louks nailed 4-8 from long distance. Anthony Petrilli and Rico Failla each scored 12 and Trace Yager had 10 for SBCC, which shot 59.5 percent and scored 51 second-half points on the way to a season-high 85.
Hancock was just as good, however, as it made 59.4 percent in the second half and scored 54 points. The Bulldogs drained 13-16 free throws after intermission compared to 1-4 for the Vaqueros.
“When we needed defensive stops, we just couldn’t get ‘em,” said SBCC coach Morris Hodges. “I thought our defense was too porous for too many stretches in the second half. We didn’t make them earn their buckets.”
