Citrus finished the year with a 23-7 overall record and CCCAA State Quarterfinal appearance. Photo by Rebekah Rudder
Citrus finished the year with a 23-7 overall record and CCCAA State Quarterfinal appearance. Photo by Rebekah Rudder

Citrus' Season Closes at State Quarterfinals

Despite a seven-minute scoring drought, Citrus College battled until the end but came up short in a 79-68 loss to West Valley College in the CCCAA State Quarterfinals Friday.

The Owls end their season at 23-7, while the Vikings advance to the State Semifinals with a 27-3 record.

Three Owls finished the game in double figures, led by Cedric Reed's 15 points (6-for-12). Jayden Johnston added 11 points and Chris Chiles chipped in 10. Anthony Tello was just on the cusp with nine points.

Off the glass, Leonard Turner and Aibigho Ujadughele each grabbed seven boards for the Owls.

WVC opened on a 6-0 run, but Citrus clawed its way back and pulled within one, 13-12, off a Hayden Dykstra trey, before Turner posted up to give the Owls their first lead of the game, 14-13, with 11 and a half minutes to play.

The Vikings took back their lead with seven unanswered points, but Turner sparked a 10-0 run to put the Owls in front by two possessions, 24-20.

Citrus couldn't buy a basket in the remaining six minutes of the half, walking into halftime trailing 32-24.

Chiles finally broke the scoring drought 45 seconds into the second half, but the Owls had a lot of ground to make up.

With just over 10 minutes to go, Reed drained a three to tie the game up, 52-52, but the Vikings scored six-straight points to create some cushion once again.

Still, the Owls never gave up and kept battling.

Johnston drained a three-pointer with just over one minute remaining, 75-68, and the Owls got a defensive stop but couldn't capitalize. Citrus fouled to try to get the ball, but the Vikings hit their free throws to seal the 79-68 quarterfinal victory.

The ball didn't want to fall for the Owls, who shot 40-percent from the free throw line and 25.8-percent from three-point range.