On Nov. 9, the Santa Monica College men’s basketball team defeated San Diego Mesa, showing off their high-level defense and depth off the bench. The Corsairs were without their starting center, Micah Blackmon, but nonetheless earned a 68-62 win. Once again, the bench shined and scoring came from across the roster, with impressive performances from guard Mekhi Polk and forward Vidal Nzoyem Jr.
“The depth, I’m just gonna keep screaming the depth all year,” SMC head coach Malik Bray said after the game, “It’s been working for us, and it's gotten us good results for us so far.”
The Corsairs started the season 3-0 and are one win away from matching their total number of wins from last season.
SMC began the first half struggling to take care of the ball, turning it over seven times and missing layups. Although their offense couldn’t find success, the Corsairs continued to show their strength on the defensive end.
Bray was involved with every possession telling his guys to stay solid, while calling out screens coming from every direction. The Olympians ran a motion offense consisting of off ball screens and back door cuts, but Bray was well aware of this before the game. The Corsairs were able to navigate the screens and prevent San Diego Mesa from getting easy shots.
“They run a pretty structured offense, a lot of back doors, a lot of back cuts and rejection on ball screens,” Bray said. “Guy’s can’t get caught sleeping and watching, because they’ll make us pay.”
They struggled to rebound in the first half, and Olympians guard Jeremiah McCaleb knocked down a three to give his team the early lead.
“Four passes before we shoot, stop shooting bad shots,” Bray said to his team in response to their flat offense.
SMC guard Anthony Dozier and Nzoyem Jr. checked in and both scored off putbacks, sparking a 7-0 run for the Corsairs.
Polk checked in and immediately changed the momentum for SMC. On his first play of the game, he split the double and found shooter Jaxon Rous-Smith for a wide-open 3-pointer. A few possessions later, he hit a three and a crafty layup breaking down the entire defense in back-to-back possessions. To cap off a 10-0 run for the Corsairs Polk also found forward Jaylen Brown on the fast break for an alley oop, giving the Corsairs their biggest lead of the night, 25-15.
“I know the type of person I am, I’m a really energetic person,” Polk said after the game. “When the team sees me going they get it going, push the ball and being that spark the team needs.”
Bray mentioned that his decision to run a horns offense, which consists of a high double screen, was what allowed the Corsairs to find success offensively.
“They’re playing the gaps heavy, and on the horns you can’t really play the gaps,” Bray said.
McCaleb ran the offense for the Olympians, but guard Marcus Henderson Jr. showed off his offensive game with a nifty up-and-under layup to cut the lead to three with two minutes left in the half. SMC guard Jesus Quiernan finished the half with a buzzer-beating corner 3-pointer to put SMC up 33-29 going into halftime.
To start the second half, McCaleb tied the game right away with a 3-pointer and a layup, bringing the score to 33-33. He finished the night with 27 points and four steals. The entire half was back and forth with neither team gaining a major lead, and both teams pressed full court, speeding up the pace of play.
The gym erupted after Polk threw a dime to Nzoyem Jr. for an and-one layup. Polk finished with 14 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals. Nzoyem racked up a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double. To follow up, SMC guard Myan Whitfield got back-to-back steals, with one resulting in a wide open layup.
“Just being locked in and watching from the bench and knowing what the defense is doing on the other team,” Polk said, “I can come in and do my job, it’s important as a point guard you gotta be the coach on the floor.”
Olympians guards Mathew Lastre and Jaxon Woods each hit important 3-pointers to keep San Diego Mesa in the game with five minutes remaining.
SMC guard Davon Cartwise had a clutch 3-pointer that gave the Corsairs an eight-point lead with three minutes left. McCaleb scored twice with his pull-up, but it was not enough as Nzoyem Jr. sealed the game with back-to-back dunks.
“We gotta pressure up and stay solid, that's the mantra this year,” Bray said, “If we stay solid and crash the glass there is not a lot of teams that can score on this year.”
The Corsairs will play Santa Barbara City College next on Nov. 13 at home at 5 p.m.