Hawks Roll into Christmas with Dominant Showing Over Long Beach

Five players scored in double figures for the Santiago Canyon College men's basketball team Wednesday night as the Hawks hosted Long Beach City College. Aside from a brief stretch early, Santiago Canyon controlled the game from start to finish, cruising to a 93–66 victory over the Vikings.

Freshman Matt Mendias led the way with a career-high 18 points. He knocked down two three-pointers but did most of his damage attacking the basket, finishing 7-for-11 from the field. Mendias was just as impactful on the defensive end, locking down Long Beach's leading scorer and helping hold the Vikings to just 32.2 percent shooting and a 10 percent clip from three-point range.

Sophomore Chico Lopez matched Mendias' scoring output while pulling down 11 rebounds to record his first double-double of the season. Lopez went 7-for-12 from the floor and connected on three of four free throw attempts.

Freshman Cayden Hong provided a spark from deep, catching fire early and finishing 5-for-6 from beyond the arc for a career-high 16 points. Hong drilled three consecutive three-pointers on three straight possessions during a decisive stretch.

Freshman Ryan Weber added 13 points and two rebounds, while fellow freshman Jacob De Armas posted a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double. De Armas also contributed three assists and a blocked shot.

As a team, the Hawks shot just under 50 percent from the field, outrebounded Long Beach 49–35, and committed a season-low eight turnovers in a complete performance heading into the holiday break.