MEN'S BASKETBALL -- SCHEDULE -- ROSTER -- STATS BASEBALL -- SCHEDULE -- ROSTER -- STATS WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL -- LINK Golden State Athletic Conference -- WEBSITE

Courtesy, PLNU media relations
POINT LOMA (3-4-08) - Point Loma Nazarene put together a terrific senior night performance as the Sea Lions coasted to a 94-80 win over San Diego Christian in Golden Gymnasium Monday night (Mar. 3).

Five Sea Lions scored in double figures in the final regular season home game for seniors Josh Sanderson, Casey Ortiz, Nick Corso and Ryan Smee.

The win allows PLNU (22-8, 13-7) to host a first-round GSAC playoff game on Thursday against Vanguard. MORE

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (3-2-08) -- San Diego Christian College looked to complete the home portion of its schedule with a bang after building a 35-28 halftime lead over The Master's College. However, the Mustangs returned to score 54 points in the second half to rally past the Hawks, 82-65, in Saturday's (Mar. 1) Golden State Athletic Conference contest at Ryan Center.

Ryan Zamroz tallied 26 points for The Master's (16-13, 10-9 GSAC), while Eric Durso added 20.

San Diego Christian (5-22, 2-17 GSAC), which completes the season at Point Loma Nazarene on Monday, received 20 points from BAYO ARIGBON.

In addition, CHRIS NEAL scored 8 first-half points to give the Hawks an early advantage, but he was limited to a single 3-point goal after the intermission, with no teammate able to pick-up the slack while The Master's out-scored SDCC, 34-14, to open the second half.

Courtesy, CBU media relations
RIVERSIDE (2-27-08) --- It took the NAIA’s No. 11-ranked California Baptist exactly 19:59.9 to figure things out Tuesday (Feb. 26) night.

Going through the motions in a sluggish first half, a running three-pointer at the buzzer by Davey Hopkins woke the Lancers up, spurned a 24-11 run that spanned both halves, blew the game open and lifted the Lancers to an 85-65 GSAC win over San Diego Christian.

“The first half was real discouraging,” said CBU head coach Tim Collins. “That second half was better. We are lacking energy right now, and I’ve been begging for someone to step up and give us some energy. It’s not happening, so we’re trying to figure out how to get it back.”

Hopkins did his best to raise the energy level, matching his career-high with 15 points. He had 11 in the first half and also finished with a game-high six assists.

“I just try to bring a spark off the bench and bring energy to the floor each night,” said Hopkins. “We were flat in the first half but stepped up the energy in the second half and played like we know how to play.”

For the second time this season and first since a win over Vanguard (Nov. 27), the Lancers had five players reach double figures. It is the third straight game they had at least four in double-digits. They also committed a season-low five turnovers.
Matt Gonzales led the Lancers with 19 points, getting 14 of them in the second half.

Mark Roussin finished with 13 points and nabbed seven steals. Marquis Kennedy added 13 points and four assists, and Dave Cernin chipped in with 10 points.

CBU led by just three (32-29) when Hopkins hit his 30-foot, running trey at the halftime buzzer. It was one of just two first half threes on 14 attempts for the cold-shooting Lancers, who were just 13-for-34 (.382) from the field in the first 20 minutes.

The Lancers missed 12 of their first 16 shots but quickly regrouped to score seven straight points, keyed by a Hopkins putback off a missed free throw, to open a 17-7 lead with 9:26 to play in the half. The Hawks chipped their way back into the game and got within two (32-29) on a Kevin Dillon free throw with 24 seconds left. However, Hopkins hit his three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Lancers a 35-29 halftime advantage.

“Davey had a great game tonight at both ends of the floor,” said Collins. “He’s really becoming a nice player and is having an impact in this league.”

A Dillon three-pointer made it 41-34 with 16:30 remaining when the Lancers scored five straight. Cernin concluded the spurt with an unconventional three-point play. He made the first of two free throws, then grabbed the offensive rebound when he missed the second and converted a lay-up to give the Lancers a 46-34 lead. The advantage never dipped below double-digits again as the Lancers finished the second half with 50 points, shooting .568 (21-for-37) from the floor.

CBU never trailed in the game and forced the Hawks into 21 turnovers. The Lancers had 23 assists on 34 field goals.
With the win, the Lancers improve to 21-5 overall, 13-5 GSAC and remain one game behind Concordia with two games left in the race for their first conference title.

The Lancers still control their own destiny as they finish the season at No. 22 Azusa Pacific (Friday, Feb. 29) and No. 7 Concordia (Monday, March 1). The win also assures the Lancers of no worse than fourth place and a home game in the opening-round of the GSAC Tournament, which begins March 6.

“After watching APU play at Vanguard Saturday, I think they’re the best team in the league right now,” said Collins. “We do have something to play for after losing to them last time out, plus the league title is still up for grabs. Hopefully, we’ll be able to bring up our energy level and play with some passion Friday.”

The Hawks, who are the defending GSAC champions, fall to 5-21, 2-16. It is the Lancers’ first sweep of the Hawks since they joined the GSAC in the 1999-2000 season.

Bayo Arigbon, the GSAC’s leading scorer, finished with a game-high 27 points and 10 rebounds.

Courtesy, Fresno Pacific media relations
FRESNO (2-24-08) -- It wasn't a pretty one, yet Fresno Pacific University was able to hold on to beat San Diego Christian, 73-67, in Saturday's (Feb. 23) Golden State Athletic Conference contest at the Special Events Centre.

A so-so night from the field almost kept the Sunbirds from the win, but the huge lead built at the beginning of the game kept enough distance.

Within the first four minutes, the Sunbirds built a 13 point lead, 15-2, to gain early control, eventually building a 26-8 lead before things went sour.

At the 10:47 mark, the Sunbirds offense would stall badly and see the potential blowout start to slip away. They would go seven minutes without a single point and during that span the Hawks would go on a 12-0 run to close the gap to six.

The second half would follow the same script. FPU built the lead back into double figures, only to watch the Hawks post another 7-minute dryspell during a 17-2 scoring run.

Down the stretch the Sunbirds made it a back and forth game and didn't allow the Hawks to gain the lead en route to a late season GSAC win.

Fresno Pacific forward Adrian Sanchez would lead the way with 15 points and Adrian Hurtado (13), Todd Brown (13) and Jordan Farley (10) would all chip in with a double-digit night.

For the Hawks (5-20, 2-15 GSAC), center BAYO ARIGBON led the way with 20 points and 11 rebounds -- both game highs, while CHRIS NEAL added 11 points. The Sunbirds are now 18-10 (9-9 GSAC).

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-20-08) -- San Diego Christian College ran out of time on its late comeback efforts, as Vanguard University escaped Ryan Center with an 85-75 triumph in Golden State Athletic Conference action Tuesday (Feb. 19).

The Lions, which have won four straight and 5-out-of-6, thought they had an easy victory after mounting a 76-49 advantage. However, the Hawks never quit, closing the contest on a 26-9 run to make things interesting.

CRAIG JACKSON came off the bench to score all of his seven points during the streak.

BAYO ARIGBON paced San Diego Christian (5-19, 2-14 GSAC) with 27 points and 8 rebounds, while CHRIS NEAL added 14 points.

Vanguard (17-7, 11-5 GSAC) received 20 points from Greg Gusiff, as the Lions shot a robust 62.3 percent (33-for-53) from the floor. Vanguard remains in a third-place deadlock with Azusa Pacific, one full game behind GSAC co-leaders Concordia and Cal Baptist.

San Diego Christian closes the season with three of its four remaining contests on the road. The home contest is Saturday (March 1), against county rival Point Loma Nazarene.

Hawks center BAYO ARIGBON posted game-highs of 34 points and 10 rebounds, including a mid-range jumper to build a 57-40 lead with 18:16 remaining.

Hope finally cut the deficit to single-digits with 5 minutes left, moving to within 79-77 with 2:25 left. However, Arigbon immediately answered with a power layin on the next possession, then made two free throws on the next trip down the floor, as SDCC (5-18, 2-13 GSAC) went 6-for-8 from the line down the stretch.

CHRIS NEAL continued his torrid shooting of late, adding 24 points on 9-for-16 shooting (mostly from the outside), while JEREMY LATTIN registered 11 points and 4 assists.

Hope International (1-21, 1-14 GSAC) received 20 points and 5 boards from center Travis Hardeman.

© East County Sports.com
AZUSA (2-15-08) -- With San Diego Christian College center BAYO ARIGBON limited to just 14 minutes of action, it was easy pickings for a pair of big men from Azusa Pacific, allowing the host Cougars to skate past the Hawks, 82-70, in Golden State Athletic Conference action Thursday (Feb. 14) at Felix Event Center.

Azusa center David Burgess connected on 9-of-15 shots for a team-high 24 points, while forward Davon Roberts added 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting, helping the Cougars mount a 45-33 halftime lead.

Hawks guard CHRIS NEAL poured home a game-best 31 points in his best shooting performance of the season. Neal hit 11-of-15 shots, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range to keep San Diego Christian (4-18 overall, 1-11 GSAC) close, but the rest of the ballclub made just 15-of-41 shots to stall any comeback attempt.

Continuing signs of improvement by the Hawks include just 12 turnovers, while 8 different players collected at least one assist, including 5 by LaJUAN JOHNSON.

San Diego Christian College returns home to meet Hope International -- the only GSAC team the Hawks have defeated this season -- on Saturday (Feb. 16) at Ryan Center. The 7:30 p.m. start can be heard on the Internet here on East County Sports.com.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-10-08) -- The script never seems to change for the San Diego Christian College basketball team. The Hawks kept their Broadway run alive by again staying close until a single, solitary 4-to-5-minute stretch allowed the opponent to gain a comfortable lead to coast to a victory.

On Saturday (Feb. 9), Westmont served in the guest role to gain the Golden State Athletic Conference triumph, as the Warriors placed four players into double-digit scoring in a 79-65 triumph at Ryan Center.

“We have players who might defend well for a play or have a good possession,” said SDCC coach JASON SMITH. ”But we’re still striving for consistency for the entire game.”

Westmont (12-9, 6-7 GSAC) held a small 39-36 lead at the half, then opened a margin with a 14-4 run which the Hawks (4-17, 1-12 GSAC) failed to overcome.

Dan Rasp led Westmont with 17 points, while Ryan Aijian came off the bench to register 14 points and 10 rebounds. The Hawks saw BAYO ARIGBON again lead the team, this time with 18 points and 12 boards, while KEVIN DILLON scored 17 points

© East County Sports.com
IRVINE (2-6-08) -- San Diego Christian College keeps making strides with its shooting, but ball-handling continues to be a dilemma.

On Tuesday (Feb. 5), the Hawks shot a solid 52 percent from the floor, but 28 turnovers allowed host Concordia University to claim a 95-68 victory in Golden State Athletic Conference action.

The Eagles put the ball into the basket at an even higher rate -- 59 percent in the second half -- mostly on transition layins following SDCC turnovers.

Forward Rafael Da Silva paced Concordia with 20 points on 9-for-11 shooting, while Adam Greeaway added 13 points from the bench, as the Eagles raced to a quick 23-12 lead.

San Diego Christian (4-16 overall, 1-11 GSAC) saw forward BAYO ARIGBON score 18 points and grab a game-high 16 rebounds.

The Hawks return home Saturday (Feb. 9), entertaining Westmont College at 7:30 p.m. (LIVE Internet broadcast here on East County Sports.com).

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (1-30-08) -- Former San Diego Christian College coach ART WILMORE knew his current ballclub at Point Loma Nazarene would be in for a dogfight.

"We saw the tapes on some of their recent games," noted Wilmore. "And JASON (SMITH, the current Hawks coach) has done some amazing things to get the team to where it's at."

And for 30 minutes, the NAIA nationally 10th-ranked Sea Lions received everything they could handle before finally pulling away late in Tuesday's (Jan. 29) 85-66 triumph at Ryan Center.

For San Diego Christian, it was an all-or-nothing performance. The Hawks shot a blistering 67 percent from the floor in the first half, yet turned the ball over 20 times to trail at the half, 37-36.

But when the mistakes disappeared, the Golden State Athletic Conference contest became a battle royale. A series of consecutive lead changes saw San Diego Christian (4-14 overall, 1-9 GSAC) grab a 50-49 lead with 12:49 remaining.

Then the roof caved in.

Hawks center BAYO ARIGBON, who led both teams with 25 points and 10 rebounds, was forced to the bench with his fourth foul.

A year from now, San Diego Christian might be able to overcome the temporary loss of its leader. But with few options on the bench to make-up for Arigbon's scoring, Point Loma Nazarene (16-4, 7-3 GSAC) instead went on a 16-2 run, making the final score look deceptively misleading.

"We're still just too thin on the bench, even though things are a lot better than before," said Smith. "And we're especially thin among the bigs (the forwards and centers), which makes it tough to win in this conference when your starters need to all out every night."

Meanwhile, Sea Lions guard Josh Sanderson went for 7 of his team-high 18 points during the run sans Arigbon. That opened the middle for center Curtis Carlson, who went to the foul line on three straight possessions for 5 of his 16 points.

"The score doesn't tell how well San Diego Christian played," added Wilmore. "Despite their record, another team will come in here this season and not come away with a win."

CHRIS NEAL added 11 points and three assists for the Hawks, while LaJUAN JOHNSON added 10 points and six assists, but the team finished with 29 turnovers.

The Sea Lions, who remain one game behind GSAC co-leaders Concordia and Cal Baptist, saw five players score in double figures. The others included Craig Austin (16 points), Noble'D Shelton (16) and Casey Ortiz (12).

© East County Sports.com
SANTA CLARITA (1-27-08) -- Eric Durso and Jeremy Haggerty combined for 48 points, leading The Master's College to an 82-69 decision over San Diego Christian College in Saturday's (Jan. 26) Golden State Athletic Conference contest at Bross Gym.

Durso finished with 28 points, while Haggerty added 20, to break open a close contest.

Hawks center BAYO ARIGBON kept the Hawks close throughout the first half. His layin with 6:34 left moved SDCC to within 26-23. But when the Mustangs shut him down, the lead leaped into double digits after Haggerty scored the game's next six points.

In the second half, Durso ignited a game-clinching 17-4 run with the last of his six three-pointers, vaulting the Mustangs from an 11-point spread to a 24-point (78-54) cushion in a matter of four minutes.

Arigbon finished with 24 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

With the victory, The Master's (11-8, 5-4 GSAC) matched its victory total from a year ago. San Diego Christian fell to 4-13 (1-8 GSAC).

The Hawks return home Tuesday to tangle with crossrown rival Point Loma Nazarene, starting at 7:30 p.m. at Ryan Center.

Roussin, a 6-foot-7 transfer forward from Hope International, registered 28 points and 12 rebounds to lead a quartet of Lancers in double figures Tuesday (Jan. 22) as the NAIA’s 15th-ranked Cal Baptist rolled to an 85-74 Golden State Athletic Conference victory over San Diego Christian at Ryan Center.

The win is the Lancers’ fourth straight as they improve to 15-1 overall, 7-1 GSAC, maintaining a first-place tie with Concordia. The Hawks fell to 4-12, 1-7.

Roussin was just 6-for-8 from the floor, but he was 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and 13-for-14 from the charity stripe to key his effort. In fact, as a team, the Lancers were 22-for-29 from the line, making 16 of them in the second half.

BAYO ARIGBON, the GSAC’s leading scorer, led the Hawks with 24 points.

The Lancers kept SDCC's CHRIS NEAL, the GSAC’s third leading scorer at 18.0 points per game, scoreless for the first 25 minutes while they worked their way to a 26-point second half lead. Neal did finish with 14 points, all in the second half and 12 during a late flurry that made things interesting for a moment.

A pair of Roussin free throws made it 75-50 with 9:07 left when Neal (12 points) and Kevin Dillon (8 points) combined to outscore the Lancers, 20-3, to whittle the deficit down to 78-70 with 2:58 to play. During the spurt, the Lancers missed all five field goal attempts, committed a pair of turnovers and were just 3-for-6 from the line.

Dave Cernin, though, connected on his only trey of the night in seven attempts to restore order and for all intents and purposes put the game away.

Matt Gonzales finished with 15 points and eight rebounds. Marquis Kennedy had 10 points and six assists.

Davey Hopkins returned to the starting lineup and didn’t disappoint, tying career-highs with 13 points and seven rebounds.

The Lancers made their first five shots and scored 20 of the first 24 points, including eight straight from Roussin. Dillon, though, buried back-to-back treys to cut the margin down to seven (25-18) with 8:49 to play. The Lancers led 27-20 when they scored 14 of the next 18, capped by a Kennedy trey, to open up a 17-point (41-24) lead with 2:55 left in the half before carrying a 49-31 lead into the locker room.

CBU shot an impressive .576 (19-for-33) from the line in the first half while holding the Hawks to just .385 (10-for-26). The Lancers finished .483 (28-for-58), while SDCC was .456 (26-for-57). CBU had 22 assists on 28 field goals.

After scoring a team season-high 38 points in his previous outing, San Diego Christian College sophomore CHRIS NEAL hit just 1-of-9 shots Saturday (Jan. 19), as the rest of the Hawks failed to make-up the difference in a 78-66 Golden State Athletic Conference setback to visiting Fresno Pacific at Ryan Center.

SDCC forward BAYO ARIGBON responded with 27 points and 11 rebounds, as the Hawks closed to within 66-62 with 4:57 remaining. However, the Sunbirds (13-5, 4-4 GSAC) closed the contest with a 12-4 run -- 10 on foul shots -- to claim the victory.

Reserve forward Kevin McCaughey scored seven of his 11 points in the closing minutes, including a layin while being fouled for a 3-point play with 1:41 left to clinch it. McCaughey was one of five Fresno Pacific players to score in double figures, led by 17 points by guard Adrian Sanchez.

San Diego Christian (4-11, 1-6 GSAC) also received scoring support from the backcourt, as guards RANDY HARRIS (16 points) and KEVIN DILLON (14) combined for seven 3-point goals among the pair's 30 points.

The Hawks set a school mark with just one steal all ballgame

Chris Neal

San Diego Christian returns home for a special Saturday afternoon contest (4:30 p.m.) against Fresno Pacific at Ryan Center to open a two-game homestand.

© East County Sports.com
FULLERTON (1-13-08) -- San Diego Christian College, which seemed destined for a last-place finish in the Golden State Athletic Conference, collected a breakthrough victory Saturday (Jan.12) after nipping Hope International University, 61-60, at Darling Pavilion.

Forward BAYO ARIGBON paced the Hawks (4-9 overall, 1-4 GSAC) with 18 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, while JEREMY LATTIN came off the bench to pour in 11 points.

San Diego Christian held a 31-20 halftime lead before the Royals (1-10, 1-4) rallied back, but fell short to extend their losing streak to 8 straight contests.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (1-11-08) -- Azusa Pacific University shot a solid 57 percent from the floor in the first half, mounting a solid lead before coasting to a 91-67 decision over San Diego Christian College in Thursday's (Jan. 10) Golden State Athletic Conference contest at Ryan Center.

Todd Martin paced the Cougars (10-5 overall, 3-2 GSAC) with 21 points, leading the sharpshooters by hitting 8-of-9 shots while also grabbing a game-high 8 rebounds.

Azusa Pacific held a 15-14 lead, then outscored SDCC, 28-10 over the final 12 minutes.

The Hawks (3-9, 0-4 GSAC) received 20 points from CHRIS NEAL, including 4-for-7 shooting frombeyond the arc, but the rest of the team made just 16-of-45 shots.

Reserve forward BEN PERRY added 12 points for SDCC, while BAYO ARIGBON added 9 points and 8 boards.

Former Hawks coach Ray Slagle now directs Cedarville.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-18-07) -- The lineup changes initiated by San Diego Christian College coach JASON SMITH gained the wanted results on offense, but defensively the Hawks' woes continued to Monday's (Dec. 17) non-conference setback to visiting William Jewell College, 70-56, at Ryan Center.

"Craig really helped us out," said Smith. "He played pretty good defense for us and just made us an overall better basketball team on the floor. When he ran our offense, we got good looks, and when he didn't, we didn't shoot very well."

William Jewell, a longtime postseason opponent of the Hawks since the early 1990s when SDCC first started to qualify for national tournaments, utilized its strong transition game to pull away. After building a 33-28 halftime lead, the Cardinals beat SDCC down the court for easy buckets to build a double-digit lead, shooting 54 percent from the floor.

"It was poor shot selection at times, then not getting back on defense," added the coach.

Forward BAYO ARIGBON paced the Hawks (2-5 overall) with 20 points, while CHRIS NEAL added 14 points and a game-best 11 rebounds.

William Jewell (6-6) received a game-high 22 points from Kyle Fisher.

The Hawks (2-6) close their pre-holiday schedule with a pair of contests against two more intersectional opponents from playoffs past, meeting Cedarville ( Ohio ) on Wednesday, then Grace ( Ind. ) on Thursday. Both contests will be played at The Master's College as the first game of 6 p.m. doubleheaders.

"We're showing improvement, but the teams we have to play before the first semester ends are pretty tough schools," added Smith. "Both ranked pretty high in the NAIA."

San Diego Christian defeated Cedarville to capture its first of four NCCAA national titles in 1990.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-28-07) -- A year ago, this
was the battle for the Golden State Athletic Conference championship, as San Diego Christian claimed its first-ever regular season title by tying for first place with Concordia (Irvine).

Concordia guard Ryan Read hit five consecutive 3-point shots during the run. The Horizon High product led all scorers with 26 points.

SDCC (2-4,0-2 GSAC) played a funky man-outside, zone-inside defense to befuddle Concordia (5-1, 1-1) in the early going. But when the Eagles gained penetration, the guards kicked the ball out to the wings for a series of treys, making sure there would be no repeat of last season's double-overtime thriller between the ballclubs.

CHRIS NEAL paced the Hawks with 21 points, while center BAYO ARIGBON added 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

Hawks happenings -- SDCC athletic director ED GARRETT announced that all remaining Hawks home games will be available ia streaming audio on the internet, via a link on East County Sports.com.

Four of five Biola starters scored in double-digits to lead the Eagles, who improve to 2-1 on the season. The Hawks fall to 2-3 and 0-1 in GSAC

Biola freshman Luke Duperron continued his strong start to his collegiate career with a game-high 16 points. Biola's inside game was working well with sophomore Rocky Hampton scoring 14 points and senior Danny Jones adding 12

The Eagles got out to a quick lead at 14-4 and never looked back, heading into halftime with a 37-24 advantage

In the second half, Biola turned up the defense, holding the Hawks to just over 20 percent shooting and allowing just five field goals to the home side. Biola hit 50 percent of its shots in the second half, outscoring SDCC 42-18 in the half to win.

BAYO ARIGBON paced the Hawks with 13 points and 9 rebounds, while KEVIN DILLON scored 9 points.

© East County Sports.com
POINT LOMA (11-13-07) -- BAYO ARIGBON scored eight of San Diego Christian's final 16 points during a late run over the final seven minutes Saturday (Nov. 10), but it wasn'tenough to overcome a 10-point deficit as Madonna University (Mich.) staved off the Hawks, 74-72.

Arigbon finished with team-highs of 25 points and 19 rebounds.

JEREMY LATTIN drained a 3-point basket at the buzzer, giving him five points over the final 9 seconds, but the Hawks (2-2) fell short in dropping a pair of weekend ballgames at Point Loma Nazarene's Golden Gymnasium. Lattin finished with 8 points, while Kevin Dillon registered 19 points and four assists.

On Friday (Nov. 9), SDCC dropped a 93-54 decision to Westminster (Utah) despite 20 points by the Hawks' CHRIS NEAL.

© East County Sports.com
SCOTTS VALLEY (11-6-07) -- Senior forward BAYO ARIGBON scored 40 points and grabbed a school-record 30 rebounds, leading San Diego Christian College to Saturday's (Nov. 3) 100-92 verdict over host Bethany University in the final round of the Pepsi Challenge. The triumph gave the Hawks a sweep of the tournament games, opening the weekend with an easy 97-73 steam-rolling of UC Santa Cruz.

Arigbon grabbed 19 of his rebounds in the first half -- also a school record -- helping SDCC (2-0) maintain the lead throughout.

"I can now say I saw someone post a 40-30 -- Bayo had a great game," said first-year Hawks coach JASON SMITH. "We don't have many players that can rebound, but Bayo was there every time to get the ball for us."

Arigbon, a native of Portland , Ore. , scored many of his points on putbacks from among his 13 offensive boards, off-setting the team's sub-par shooting from the 3-point line (4-for-21). Arigbon just missed a triple-double, recording 8 assists when the Bruins attempted to double-team him at the low post.

CHRIS NEAL added 23 points and nine rebounds for the Hawks.

In the event opener, San Diego Christian was to face Pacific Union College , which dropped out at the last minute. Fortunately, UC Santa Cruz, which was to meet the Hawks in a preseason scrimmage at Ryan Center before wildfires wiped out the schedule, still had a scheduling point remaining and drove the short distance as an emergency fill-in.

However, the Banana Slugs (0-1) were never in the contest. The Hawks mounted a 52-34 halftime lead by shooting 61 percent (14-for-23) from the floor.

Neal led all scorers with 29 points, while Arigbon recorded another double-double with 18 points and 19 boards. In addition, KEVIN DILLON scored 14 and RANDY HARRIS had 10.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (10-30-07) -- No offense was taken when the Golden State Athletic Conference preseason coaches' poll listed San Diego Christian College at the bottom of the 11-team circuit.

"I wouldn't expect anything less with few returners and no signed recruits until July 3rd," said first-year coach JASON SMITH, who wasn't hired until mid-summer. "So it's a motivating factor for me and my guys. No one expects us to do anything besides us, but we'll be competitive and cause some problems for some of the teams."

The Hawks, which shared the GSAC championship with Concordia last season, find themselves in a similar situation as when the school first started basketball in 1986-87. The freshmen-dominated roster returns only three players.

"This team will definitely be different than last year's with so many new players," added Smith. "Obviously there were some retention problems just because the guys didn't know what was going on through the (hiring) process."

"Second of all, there were no recruits signed -- period. So when I got here on July 3, there were zero recruits signed and even the returners weren't committed, so basically, we pretty much had to start from scratch -- I assembled a basketball team in a month-and-a-half, which proved rather difficult."

Nevertheless, the Hawks (24-6 overall, 16-4 GSAC last year) open their 22nd season of basketball this weekend, participating in the two-day Pepsi Challenge in the Northern California community of Scotts Valley. SDCC will meet Pacific Union College in Friday's (Nov. 2) opener, then battle tournament host Bethany University the following night.

"Playing a pair of Cal-Pac (California Pacific Athletic Conference) schools will give us a feel where we stand," Smith noted. "It would've been nice to have played the scrimmage with UC Santa Cruz (canceled due to conditions caused by the Harris Fire), but that's just another thing we'll have to fight through."

"There may be adversity, but this weekend will be a barometer for us."

Sophomore CHRIS NEAL is the Hawks' single returning part-time starter. The other returnees include junior forward BAYO ARIGBON and sophomore guard JEREMY LATTIN. Combined with Neal, the Hawks' experience includes a trio which combined for 17.8 points (14.4 in GSAC) of the team's 77.7 scoring average from last season.

"Neal has the potential to be an All-GSAC player, if not this year, maybe by his junior or senior year. He's versatile and can pose some mismatches for us. Lattin was a walk-on last year-- he's a good mid-range shooter, while Bayo is a senior who wants to be a leader."

"The school understands this might take a few years to turn around," added Smith. "But we hope to bring in more and more talent to get back to the top as quickly as we can."

Among the last-summer recruits feature 6-foot-10 MYLES LUTTMAN, who hails from Tamworth, England.

"Myles has been in the States with a friend, looking to go to Grossmont College. But he inquired about playing here, so I built a relationship with him and recruited him here."

Among San Diego Christian's 13 players, only three stand 6-5 or better, with six players being freshmen.

"We're a little under-sized -- we can't bang-around in the halfcourt with a lot of the GSAC schools. We going after them -- we're going to press; we're going to run; we're going to trap; we're going to make it interesting -- and it's a style the kids like to play and the fans like to see."

"That's our edge, giving a little bit of diversity to the conference."

Following the Bethany event, SDCC will play Westminster (Utah) and Madonna (Mich.) at the Point Loma Nazarene tournament. The home opener is also the GSAC opener on Wed., Nov. 21, against Biola at the Ryan Athletics Center.

"It's very possible for the young guys to grow and mature into young adults and good basketball players -- there's some talent here which needs to emerge. It's a jump-up for a lot of these kids, but it's a 3- or 4- or 5-year building process.”