© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-27-12) — Four Grossmont College players have been named to the 2012 All-Pacific Coast Athletic Conference men’s basketball team in balloting by the nine league coaches.

Representing the Griffins on the first team is 6-foot-5 sophomore forward CASEY HEALY. Teammate TIM PATRICK, a 6-foot-5 freshman forward, was selected to the second team by the coaches. Earning Honorable Mention for the Griffins were sophomore guards REYNARD RICE and CODY WITTICK.

The Griffins (13-11, 10-6 PCAC) finished third place in the conference, one game out of second.

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OCEANSIDE (2-11-12) — A third-place finish and a possible SoCal men’s basketball regional playoff berth are not out of reach for the Grossmont College Griffins, who skipped past host MiraCosta, 75-56, in Friday’s (Feb. 10) Pacific Coast Athletic Conference action.

It was the fourth straight win for the Griffins (12-11, 9-6 PCAC), who need a win over San Diego Mesa in their Friday (Feb. 17) regular-season finale. A victory there would leave the Griffins in sole possession of third or possibly tied with Southwestern for the PCAC position.

“I think we have all the tie-breakers covered in our favor,” Grossmont assistant coach DIMA ARTAMONOV said. “Their pressure had no effect on us this time, unlike in the first game when they really hurt us in the second half (of a 66-48 Spartans conquest)."

TREVON ASH landed seven 3-pointers on his way to a 24-point finish for the Griffins. CASEY HEALY (16 points) and REYNARD RICE (14) also reached double figures, while CODY WITTICK tapped in 9.

It was defense that impressed the Grossmont coaches most.

“This was as a good of defense as we’ve played all season,” Artamonov said.

In what could be the greatest pass in hoops history, Grossmont College's Trevon Ash can drive opposing defenses crazy with deception. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) VIEW/PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Griffins Photo Gallery Updated Feb. 9 HERE

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EL CAJON (2-9-12) — Grossmont College galloped to a 16-4 lead early on in Wednesday’s (Feb. 8) Pacific Coast Athletic Conference contest against visiting Cuyamaca and then held on for a 64-61 victory.

Once again freshman TIM PATRICK led the charge for the Griffins with a powerful double-double of 19 points and 18 rebounds. He missed only one of nine shots from the field and was 3-for-3 from the free throw stripe. For a finishing touch he also notched 4 assists and one block.

CASEY HEALY pitched in with 15 points on 7 of 10 shooting for Grossmont (11-11, 8-6 PCAC) in its regular-season home finale. REYNARD RICE added 14 points and 5 assists, while CODY WITTICK tossed in 10 points, including a pair of threes.

Grossmont ran its advantage to as many as 11 points several times in the second half, but needed a handful of clutch baskets down the stretch to hold off the Coyotes (4-19, 2-11 PCAC).

Grossmont never trailed in the game until a pair of Keko Moore free-throws gave Cuyamaca a 59-57 edge with 2:41 to play.

A Patrick layup off a Rice assist knotted the score at 59-all with 2:17 to go.

It stayed that way until TREVON ASH hit his only field goal of the game, a deep three-pointer with 1:15 to go for a 62-59 lead.

Cuyamaca got within a point at 62-61, but were unable to connect on a desperation three.

With the triumph, the Griffins raced past both Southwestern and MiraCosta – each suffered upset losses Wednesday – into undisputed possession of third place in the PCAC.

After winning just five games last year, the Griffins rate as a darkhorse for a playoff berth this year. They face MiraCosta in a must-win situation Friday (Feb. 10) in Oceanside. Their final game will be conducted Friday (Feb. 17) at San Diego Mesa. Both games begin at 5 p.m.

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IMPERIAL (2-4-12) — TIM PATRICK popped in 28 points, yanked down 10 rebounds, notched 4 steals and logged 2 blocks leading the visiting Grossmont College Griffins to a 69-66 Pacific Coast Athletic Conference victory over second-place Imperial Valley College.

“He was fantastic,” said Grossmont assistant coach DINA ARTAMONOV. “Set the tempo for us.”

Patrick, also a star receiver for the Griffins football team, nailed 10 of 13 free throws.

“He also had three dunks off steals,” Artamonov noted.

CODY WITTICK added a dozen points, sinking 7 of 10 free throws. REYNARD RICE played a strong floor game with 8 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and no turnovers.

Grossmont (10-11, 7-6 PCAC, which led 40-34 at intermission, has an outside chance of finishing second and qualifying for the SoCal playoffs. To do so the Griffins would have to sweep their final three games and have some help from others in the nine-team circuit.

Meanwhile, the Arabs, ranked No. 11 in the state and No. 6 in the Southland entering the week, have dropped two straight contests.

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EL CAJON (02-02-12) — Grossmont College tallied seven unanswered points over the final 62 seconds Wednesday’s (Feb. 1), upending visiting Southwestern, 76-71 in overtime, in Pacific Coast Athletic Conference action.

Overall, Grossmont (9-11, 6-6 PCAC) gained a 13-8 scoring edge in the extra five-minute period to split the season series with the Jaguars (13-9, 7-5 PCAC).

Trailing 71-69, Grossmont got a free throw from CASEY HEALY. Healy missed the second shot and MICHAEL OVERSON scrambled to collect the offensive rebound. Overson then snapped a pass to TIM PATRICK for a layup and a 72-71 Grossmont lead.

Two more free throws by Patrick and a pair from TREVON ASH iced the game for Grossmont. The Griffins netted 7 of 8 free throws in the extra session.

Healy paced Grossmont with 17 points, while Ash added 16. Overson chipped in with 14 points and 7 rebounds. RAYMON TAYLOR contributed 9 points and 10 rebounds in just 14 minutes of play.

Next up for the Griffins is a trip to the Imperial Valley Friday (Feb. 3) at 7 p.m.

“I think we still have a shot at the playoffs,” said Grossmont assistant coach DIMA ARTAMONOV. “But we have to win out (four games remain). We own all the tie-breakers with quality wins over Cuesta and L.A. Southwest, both of whom will win their league."

The victory snapped Grossmont's 8-game losing streak to Southwestern, and was the Griffins' first home-court victory in the series since January 2005.

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EL CAJON (1-28-12) — The Grossmont College got what appeared to be a victory snatched out of its talons Friday night (Jan. 27) against visiting Miramar College.

Leading 76-72 with 11 seconds remaining in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference encounter, the Griffins watched in amazement as Miramar College’s Alberto Ganis nailed back-to-back buckets allowing the Jets to escape with a 77-76 victory.

It was the second Ganis shot that disturbed the Griffins for more than obvious reasons.

“Our game films show that the ball was still in the shooter’s hands when the buzzer went off,” Grossmont assistant coach DIMA ARTAMONOV fumed. “No way should that have been counted.”

The referee that made the controversial call ran out the door, not hanging around for any discussion.

The Griffins also believed CASEY HEALY was fouled attempting to reel in a defensive rebound that would have sent him to the free throw line with two seconds left and Grossmont leading by 1.

However, the Griffins (8-11, 5-6 PCAC) blew a 72-64 advantage in the final 41 seconds that they can also blame themselves for.

At one point in the second half the Jets (5-14, 3-7 PCAC) scored on five consecutive possessions.

CODY WITTICK led Grossmont with 18 points, sinking 8 of 9 free throws in the process. He also notched 5 assists, one fewer than guard REYNARD RICE. TIM PATRICK added 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Healy finished with 15 points.

Next up for the Griffins is a home game against Southwestern on Wednesday (Feb. 1) at 7 p.m.

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SAN MARCOS (1-26-12) — Visiting Grossmont College blew a 17-2 lead it had constructed in the opening seven minutes of Wednesday’s (Jan. 25) Pacific Coast Athletic Conference game in the Palomar Dome.

Bottom line is the Comets (6-14, 4-6 PCAC) rebounded to earn an 88-66 victory over the bewildered Griffins (8-10, 5-5 PCAC).

“Palomar shot 65 percent in the second half, made a ton of layups,” Griffins assistant coach DIMA ARTAMONOV said.

TIM PATRICK paced Grossmont with a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds. CODY WITTICK landed four 3-pointers on his way to a 14-point contribution for the Griffins. REYNARD RICE pitched in with 12 points and TOM WILKINSON nailed a trio of 3-pointers on his way to an 11-point finish.

Grossmont will host Miramar in a conference clash on Friday (Jan. 27) at 5 p.m.

Griffins defender Tim Patrick (left) can't stop the layin by City College's Marvin Sykes. (Photo by Frank Price, youatplay.com) VIEW/PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

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EL CAJON (1-21-12) — It might have been a completely different season if Grossmont College could have found a way to keep San Diego City College (14-6, 8-1 PCAC) off its schedule. PHOTOS

For the third time in as many meetings, the Griffins succumbed to the visiting Knights, 87-68, in Friday’s (Jan. 20) Pacific Coast Athletic Conference action.

“We could not stop them defensively,” said Grossmont assistant coach DIMA ARTAMONOV. “They shot it really well. They were 54 percent (31 for 57) from the field and 64 percent (9 for 14) on 3s. We didn’t shoot the ball well at all. We were at 38.5 percent (25 of 65) for the game.”

TIM PATRICK paced the Griffins (8-9, 5-4 PCAC) with 14 points and 7 rebounds, while TREVON ASH added 12 points. CASEY HEALY was on his way to another profitable night before leaving the game in the second half with an ankle sprain. Healy finished with 11 points and 5 boards.

Grossmont’s TOM WILKINSON also netted 11 points, the majority coming on 3-for-4 shooting from beyond the arc.

Next up for the Griffins is a conference clash at Palomar on Wednesday (Jan. 25) in San Marcos at 5 p.m..

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EL CAJON (1-19-12) — CASEY HEALY hammered down 19 points, anchored by 9-for-13 shooting, to help host Grossmont College knock off San Diego Mesa College, 77-69, in Wednesday’s (Jan. 18) Pacific Coast Athletic Conference basketball action.

The victory allowed the Griffins (8-8, 5-3 PCAC) to conclude the first half of conference activity tied with Southwestern for third place.

Overall, Grossmont canned better than 56 percent (31 of 55) against the Olympians.

“We did a better job of setting the tempo than we did against MiraCosta,” said Grossmont assistant coach DIMA ARTAMONOV.

The Griffins led 37-22 at intermission.

“They had a couple of runs, but we were able to maintain about a 6-to-8 advantage the majority of the second half,” Artamonov said.

Freshman MICHAEL OVERSON out of El Capitan pulled off a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds for Grossmont. CODY WITTICK chipped in with 11 points, one more than TREVON ASH. TIM PATRICK added 9 points and 8 rebounds.

Dee Hugie paced Mesa (5-12, 2-6 PCAC) with a game-high 29 points. The Olympians now have dropped four straight contests.

The Griffins begin the final round of conference play on Friday (Jan. 20) by hosting second place San Diego City College at 5 p.m.

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EL CAJON (1-12-12) — The fourth-place Grossmont College Griffins fell flat on their collective faces Wednesday (Jan. 11), registering a season scoring low in a 66-48 Pacific Coast Athletic Conference loss to visiting MiraCosta.

The Griffins (7-8, 4-3 PCAC) fell 2½ games behind front-running San Diego City College.

Despite claiming a 43-42 rebounding edge, the Griffins shot a paltry 28.8 percent (19-of-66) from the field. They were an awful 2-of-17 from 3-point range and missed eight of 20 free throws. Twenty-nine turnovers certainly didn’t help.

By comparison, MiraCosta (7-7, 4-2) proved the difference in the game came at the free throw line where the Spartans clicked on 23 of 33 chances. MiraCosta had three players in double scoring digits and committed 10 fewer turnovers.

With the victory, the Spartans leap-frogged past Grossmont and into third place in the PCAC.

CASEY HEALY paced Grossmont with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks. TIM PATRICK added 9 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Next up for the Griffins is a Wednesday (Jan. 18) home game against San Diego Mesa College at 5 p.m.

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (1-7-12) — Grossmont College moved to within 1½ games of Pacific Coast Athletic Conference-leading San Diego City Friday (Jan. 6) when the Griffins downed district rival Cuyamaca, 63-56, in the Coyotes’ den.

Grossmont (7-7, 4-2 PCAC) blanked Cuyamaca (3-12, 1-4) by a 7-0 spread over the final two minutes to secure the win.

“I think we came out and kind of underestimated them at first,” said Grossmont’s TIM PATRICK.

Yet the Griffins managed a 26-24 lead by intermission.

Patrick reported that narrow margin hardly pleased Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER.

“Coach gave us a nice talking to at halftime,” said Patrick, who came off the bench for 10 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. “Then after that we just came out on fire.”

At one point, Grossmont was sitting on a 46-36 lead with 10:51 remaining. The Coyotes gnawed away at the deficit by ringing up nine straight points over a 90-second stretch.

“When we got that big lead we kinda got complacent,” said Grossmont freshman TREVON ASH, who finished with a team-best 15 points (including three triples). “Then we realized what the score was and we turned it back up.”

Patrick, whose high-energy leadership provided Grossmont’s late spark, said “We knew we had to win this game if want to make the playoffs.”

Grossmont, one of the nine-team PCAC’s top defensive units, charted 11 steals resulting in 9 points.

“We are kinda new to this rivalry because are freshman,” said Ash of himself and Patrick among others. “But coach (Weber) has been a part of it for a long time so we had to come up big for him.”

The Griffins featured a balanced attack with five players scoring 8 or more points against Cuyamaca. CASEY HEALY added 12 points, five rebounds and 3 assists, while REYNARD RICE pitched in with 11 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 assists.

“Our leading scorer (CODY WITTICK) didn’t even get double digits tonight, but four other guys did,” Weber said. “What is really good, is he’s not about he’s going to score all these points every game. He’s going to make the extra pass, he’s going to reverse it . . .”

Wittick still contributed 8 points (off 6 shots and 6 rebounds).

RAYMON TAYLOR plucked off 8 rebounds for the Griffins.

Patrick snapped a 56-56 deadlock with a bucket, and Rice followed with a dunk off a Patrick steal and fast-break assist to decide the issue

Keko Moore (Hoover HS) nailed 8 of 10 shots plus one free throw for 17 points to lead all Cuyamaca scorers. Grossmont High alums JAKE HAAR added 5 points and 7 rebounds, while his high school teammate ANTHONY BOWDEN chipped in with 4 points, 4 rebounds and 6 steals. El Capitan graduate ARMON WORRELL added 5 points for the Coyotes.

Next up for the Griffins is a home PCAC game against MiraCosta on Wednesday (Jan. 11) at 5 p.m.

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (1-5-12) — Grossmont College dribbled into sole possession of third place in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference race Wednesday (Jan. 4) by knocking off previously co-leading Imperial Valley, 64-54, in the Griffins gym.

This was the Griffins’ biggest win of the season if for no other reason than it pulled them to within two games of front-running San Diego City (11-5, 5-0). IVC is second at 11-4, 4-1.

Speaking of memorable victories, the Griffins (6-7, 3-2 PCAC) have already won one more game than they did in 25 games a year ago.

In their conquest of Imperial Valley, the Griffins overcame a 9-2 sluggish start to lead 31-23 by halftime.

“We came clawing back and then they got into foul trouble,” Grossmont assistant coach DIMA ARTAMONOV said. "Our defense has been there for us every night and this was no exception.”

Better than that, the Griffins turned the ball over only 10 times.

“Not making turnovers is the recipe for success,” Artamonov said. “That, and shooting 48 percent like we did.”

TIM PATRICK pounded the glass for 12 points, nine rebounds and a pair of blocked shots to pace the Griffins. RAYMON TAYLOR added 12 points and 8 boards, while REYNARD RICE pitched in with 10 points for the Griffins.

TREVON ASH landed a trio of triples for 9 points and CODY WITTICK also tallied 9 markers. MICHAEL OVERSON and CASEY HEALY contributed 6 points apiece.

Next up for the Griffins is a road trip to district rival Cuyamaca on Friday (Jan. 6) at 5 p.m.

By Bill Dickens
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MIRA MESA (12-15-11) — It took the Grossmont College Griffins 25 games to post five victories a year ago.

Now, just nine games deep into this season, the Griffins own a 5-4 record, including a 2-1 mark after edging host Miramar, 72-68, in Wednesday’s (Dec. 14) Pacific Coast Athletic Conference action. That has Grossmont trailing front-running San Diego City College by one game.

The Griffins rallied from a 36-28 halftime deficit to ground the Jets (2-7, 1-2).

“We started off slow, but our sophomore kids rallied our guys together in the second half,” said Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER. “We had a great first two minutes in the second – made four stops and scored six points.”

That swung momentum into the Griffins’ court.

CASEY HEALY led a balanced Grossmont attack with 16 points. CODY WITTICK added 13 points, including 7-for-9 free throw shooting. REYNARD RICE and REDD NARCISSE chipped in a dozen points apiece for Grossmont, which has won four of its last five.

“We are not bigger than anybody,” Weber said. “But we really defend it pretty well.”

The coach singled out MICHAEL OVERSON and TREVOR ASH for limiting Miramar ’s top seasonal scorer to 10 points – just 2 in the second half.

Not to be overlooked was the defensive work of TIM PATRICK, who rejected five Miramar shots while coming off the bench for seven points.

“All of those guys were fantastic on defense,” Weber said.

Grossmont travels to Southwestern on Friday (Dec. 16) for a key PCAC encounter at 5 p.m.

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-10-11) — It may be a bit presumptuous to declare Grossmont College a contender for the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference championship. But be assured that the Griffins will be migrating toward the top rather than hanging around the basement in the nine-team league.

Guard CODY WITTICK canned 24 points on 8-for-12 shooting – which included 6 of 8 accuracy from beyond the arc – as the Griffins plastered visiting Palomar 78-65 to balance the Griffins’ overall record at 4-4 and PCAC mark at 1-1.

CASEY HEALY added 16 points and 9 rebounds for the Griffins, who have won three of their last four starts. MICHAEL OVERSON pitched in 12 points and TIM PATRICK punched in 9 points and claimed 8 rebounds for the winners.

A year ago, Palomar defeated the Griffins three times in as many meetings. It was close this time, too, as Grossmont was nursing only a 37-33 advantage at halftime.

One of the keys to Grossmont’s latest conquest of the Comets (1-8, 0-2) was defensive Chris Gorman, Palomar’s premier scorer. He was only 1-for-8 from three-point distance as REYNARD RICE, DEMOND “Red” NARCISSE and Overson shared Grossmont’s defensive patrol on the North County marksman.

Next up for the Griffins is a bout at Miramar on Wednesday (Dec. 14) at 7 p.m.

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SAN DIEGO (12-8-11) — Six Grossmont College Griffins scored eight points or more, but it wasn’t enough as they dropped their Pacific Coast Athletic Conference opener 80-77 on Wednesday (Dec. 7) at San Diego City College.

DEMOND “RED” NARCISSE paced the Griffins (3-4, 0-1) with 18 points, while TIM PATRICK added 15 points and 7 rebounds. REYNARD RICE chipped in with 11 points as did MICHAEL OVERSON. CORY WITTICK tossed in 10 markers and RAYMON TAYLOR pitched in with 8.

“We shot the ball well,” said Grossmont assistant coach DIMA ARTAMONOV. Indeed they did, sinking 31 of 60 chances (52 percent).

Where the Knights hurt the Griffins most was from the free throw line as they converted 22 of 32 chances, including 15 of 20 in the final 20 minutes.

By comparison, Grossmont netted 10 of 16 charity shots.

The Griffins led 77-75 with 1:59 remaining but couldn’t hang on. Wittick missed a chance to send the game into overtime when his three-point shot at buzzer hit the front of the rim and came off.

Grossmont hosts Palomar Friday (Dec. 9) at 5 p.m.

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-5-11) — For only the third time in the 40-year history of the Grossmont College Invitational, the Griffins captured the championship.

The Griffins defeated Los Angeles Southwest 73-69 in Sunday’s (Dec. 4) tourney title game. This was no cakewalk for the Griffins (3-3) as the Cougars came in ranked No. 14 in Southern California. A day earlier, Grossmont clipped Cuesta of San Luis Obispo, the No. 7-rated team in the region.

Grossmont freshman TIM PATRICK, the tournament MVP, knocked down 8 of 10 shots from the field and 6 of 9 free throws for a game-high 22 points. He also topped the Griffins with 9 rebounds.

TREVON ASH pitched in with 18 points and all-tournament pick CODY WITTICK landed three early 3-pointers to help propel the Griffins to a 42-36 halftime advantage.

“Nobody seems to remember for sure the last time we won our own tournament,” said Grossmont assistant coach DIMA ARTAMONOV. “What matters, though, is we won it this year. That’s a big boost for us.”

“When Cody hit those three straight threes, along with our overall successful perimeter shooting it pulled Southwest out of its zone,” the coach continued. “When they switched to man, we were able to exploit them.”

Grossmont, which finished 5-20 a year ago, has eyes for improvement in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference, which tips off on Wednesday (Dec. 7) in a 5 p.m. encounter at San Diego City College.

“I don’t think there is a bad team in our conference this year,” Artamonov said. “ Imperial Valley has a lot of talent, but I think we will be able to compete."

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EL CAJON (12-4-11) — REYNARD RICE poured in a game-high 16 points, including the go-ahead layin midway through the second half, advancing Grossmont College to the championship of its own 40th annual invitational after the Griffins upset state-ranked Cuesta, 67-64, in Saturday's (Dec. 3) semifinals.

CODY WITTICK added 15 points while MICHAEL OVERSON pitched in with 9 points and 6 rebounds for the Griffins (2-3).

TREVON ASH added 9 points while Rice recorded 5 steals and 4 assists.

Grossmont will face L,A, Southwest in Sunday’s (Dec. 4) finals at 5 p.m.

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EL CAJON (11-29-11) — Grossmont College will host one of the longest running community college men’s basketball tournaments in the state, the 40th Annual Grossmont College Invitational, beginning Friday (Dec. 2) through Sunday (Dec. 4) in the Griffins’ on-campus gymnasium.

In these times of economic uncertainty, teams often bail out at the last minute which is what happened to the hosting Griffins.

Even so, the biggest inconvenience for the Griffins (1-3) is they will draw a bye in Friday’s first round and will face the winner of the Cypress-Cuesta (San Luis Obispo) opener in Saturday’s semifinals at 6 p.m.

Other teams in this long-time event include perennial powers Saddleback, Los Angeles Southwest, College of the Desert and local stalwarts Southwestern and Miramar.

First games are slated for 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Play resumes on Saturday with games at 2, 4, 6 and 8. The final day features the championship bout at 5 p.m. preceded by the third place game at 3 and the consolation championship at 1.

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SAN DIEGO (11-20-11) — Sophomore CASEY HEALY knocked down 25 points and snagged 7 rebounds Saturday (Nov. 19), but it wasn’t enough as the visiting Grossmont College Griffins succumbed to San Diego City, 87-78, in the semifinals of the SDCC Invitational.

The 6-foot-5 Healy was 8 of 17 from the field, including 6 of 9 in the second half.

El Capitan alum MICHAEL OVERSON added 16 points and 8 rebounds for the Griffins (1-2), who also gained 16 points and 6 rebounds from CODY WITTICK.

Football player TIM PATRICK chipped in with 10 points, 6 rebounds and pair of blocks for Grossmont, which takes on fast-breaking Mt. San Jacinto in Sunday’s (Nov. 20) tournament third-place game at 3 p.m.

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SAN DIEGO (11-19-11) — Grossmont College used a balanced attack Friday (Nov. 18) en route to a 70-66 victory over Los Angeles Pierce in the opening round of the San Diego City College Tournament.

Sophomore CODY WITTICK paced the Griffins (1-1) with 19 points to top the Brahmas of Woodland Hills.

“Cody has really stepped up his game since last year,” said Grossmont assistant coach DIMA ARTAMONOV. “We are taking advantage of his leadership role.”

Grossmont’s CASEY HEALY and REYNARD RICE each dropped in 16 markers. Rice was deadly from the free throw line where he converted 14 of 16 chances.

None of Rice’s shots was any bigger than the two charity makes he had in the final 8 seconds to snap a 66-66 tie. TIM PATRICK then stole an inbounds pass and slammed the ball through to seal the victory.

Patrick finished with 7 rebounds and 6 points. TREVON ASH pitched in with 7 points and 5 boards.

Grossmont takes on host San Diego City in Saturday’s (Dec. 19) semifinals at 5 p.m.

Helix product Demond Narcisse skies over ELCO's David Howard. (Frank Price photo, youatplay.com) VIEW/PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PHOTOS HERE

Warriors rally to drop Griffins By Andrew Smith © East County Sports.com EL CAJON (11-17-11) — The latest edition of the Grossmont College men's basketball team, beginning the season against an El Camino squad that already had three victories under its belt, was a tall task for this newly assembled group. After a see-saw first half that featured three deadlocks and five lead changes, the Griffins led at the break 27-26. Obtaining a 3-point lead at the 13:01 mark of the second half, the Warriors exploded on a 13-1 run over a 5:10 minute stretch that ended all hope for the Griffins, as the hosts eventually fell, 69-57. “We came out a little rusty, but give them credit – they are a good team,” Wittick said. He led the Griffins in scoring with 14 points and also added 7 rebounds. Fourteen offensive rebounds leading to 19 second-chance points and 13 turnovers didn’t help the Griffins cause. “Turnovers and offensive rebounds eventually killed us,” Wittick admitted. The future does appear to be bright with this group coach Weber has assembled and it’s only a matter of time until this bunch clicks. “Give us two weeks and we’ll be someone to be scared of. I promise you that,” Patrick warned. NEXT UP — Grossmont travels to San Diego City College for the Knights’ Invitational on Friday (Nov. 18) where the Griffins face Los Angeles Pierce at 5 p.m.

By Andrew Smith
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-17-11) — It hasn’t been too often Grossmont College head coach DOUG WEBER has had reason for incredible optimism coming into a season. The Griffins have only managed to put together one team with a winning record since the 2007-08 campaign.

“I’m actually pretty excited about the group of guys I have this year,” he stated. “We have a bunch of sophomores returning that will give us a leg up in the leadership department and everyone has been working extremely hard ever since school started.”

That leadership starts with sophomore CODY WITTICK. The 6-foot-2 guard out of Tesoro High in Rancho San Margarita played quarterback in high school and is known to be a natural leader on the court.

“We’ll play him at both the 1 and 2 guard spots,” Weber said. “He comes out of a great program and has all the natural leadership skills you can ask for.”

After the Griffins football season concluded on Saturday (Nov. 12), freshman wide receiver TIM PATRICK attended his first basketball practice two days later. Weber is giddy about Patrick’s potential. He led the Grossmont gridders in receiving and scoring after pacing his University City high school basketball team to a San Diego CIF Division III championship last year, averaging a team-best 13.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

“He’s 6-foot-5 and can jump out of the gym,” Weber noted. “He’s long and can play both inside and out. As of right now he only knows the basic sets, but you would obviously love to do more with him.”

Another University City alum is Patrick’s old teammate, sophomore guard REYNARD “Don’t call me Ray” RICE.

“He’s sneaky athletic and can guard any point guard in our league,” Weber boasted.

One downfall for the Griffins this season is that they don’t possess much height. One of the tallest players on the roster and their best post presence stands 6-5 in sophomore forward CASEY HEALY.

Once receiving medical clearance, sophomore power forward/center RAYMON TAYLOR’s (6-6) skills will definitely help out.

Don’t get it twisted though. These Griffins may be small, but they can shoot the lights out with the ball.

Watching them in warm-ups is unique. They form two lines and one side shoots while the other side rebounds. The only problem is there are not many rebounds to make when the ball goes through the net without even touching the rim.

So the team is still a work in progress, but the potential promise is evident for a program looking to turn things around.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (7-3-11) — Three players from last season’s Grossmont College basketball team have accepted scholarships to continue their hoop career at the four-year college level.

CHRIS HEPPERLY will play for the NCAA Division II (formerly NAIA) Lewis-Clark State College Warriors in Lewiston, Idaho, PAUL BURGESS joins the Mitchell, S.D. NAIA Dakota Wesleyan University Tigers and WILL SMITH has inked with NCCAA Portland (Ore.) Bible College.

A 5-foot-10 guard, Hepperly – an All-Pacific Coast Athletic Conference honorable mention player ­– averaged 9.8 points per game for the Griffins. He was one of the leading 3-point shooters in the conference as he connected on 42 percent of his attempts.

A 6-foot-9 center, Burgess played at Grossmont College for two seasons. His sophomore season was cut short due to a broken ankle. As a freshman Burgess averaged five points per game and shot 51 percent from the field.

“Both guys are hard working, great teammates, good students in the classroom,” said Grossmont College coach DOUG WEBER. “Chris was our best shooter and led the team in charges taken and diving for loose balls. Paul helped us coach this year while rehabbing his ankle and the year he played he was a solid post presence on both ends of the court.”

A 5-foot-9 point guard, Smith prepped at Lumberton High School ( Lumberton, N.C. 2003) where he then enlisted in the Navy. After serving his term in the service, he enrolled at Grossmont College where he averaged 9 points, 3 assists and 2 steals, while shooting 45 percent from the field and 33 percent from the 3-point line. Smith is married to Tynisha Smith and they have a 5-year old son.

Weber describes Smith as, "High morals, fantastic work ethic, excellent defender, great leadership skills, excellent student (3.33 gpa), and is a point guard that can hit the open jumper."

Last season, Portland Bible College won its 2nd consecutive NCCAA West Region title and qualified for the national tournament for the 4th consecutive season.

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EL CAJON (02-23-11) — Two Grossmont College athletes were named to the All-Pacific Coast Athletic Conference men’s basketball team.

Six-foot-4 sophomore OXONE MAVUNGU was selected to the second team, while freshman guard CHRIS HEPPERLY received honorable mention recognition.

Conference champion Southwestern, the lone PCAC representative in the CCCAA playoffs, saw the father-son combination of John and Anthony Consentino honored as coach and player of the year, respectively.