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Men's Basketball Wins Conference Opener, 78-57 over Hillsborough CC
February 3, 2021

Men's Basketball Wins Conference Opener, 78-57 over Hillsborough CC

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Santa Fe College men's basketball rolled to a 4-1 record with a victory in the Central Conference opener against Hillsborough Community College, 78-57.
 
The Saints didn't get off to their best start offensively in the game with the Hawks, and the game was tied at 9-9 near the midway point of the half. 
 
The Saints started to find a little more success on the offensive end, and when leading 20-19, Santa Fe started a run of nine inanswered points to establish a double-digit lead, 29-19. 
 
The Hawks halted the run with two consecutive baskets, but the Saints' still held the ten-point lead held at the halftime whistle, 33-23, following a basket from Hasan Abdul-Hakim and a Yaw Obeng-Mensah dunk.
 
A quick start in the second half with nine straight points extended the Saints' lead to 42-23. The run was highlighted by a three-pointer from Obeng-Mensah, a steal and slam from Bradley Douglas, and a nifty reverse layup from Leonardo da Campo. 
 
Santa Fe never let their lead go under 15 points from that point forward. With the help of some tight defense, the Saints established an advantage that grew as large as 27 points, 72-45, after a three-pointer from Josh Petteno.
 
The entire active roster was able to take the floor in the decisive win, and 11 different Saints made their way into the scoring column. 
 
For the third time this season, the Saints connected on 11 three-pointers. Obeng-Mensah had two of those, and he finished with a game-high 16 points to go along with ten rebounds for a double-double. Jay Medor put in 14 points with two triples of his own, and Hasan Abdul-Hakim was the final Saint in double-figure scoring with 11, six of which came from beyond the arc. 
 
A Moment with Mowry
"It was a good win for us tonight over HCC!" said Head Coach Chris Mowry. We need to be hard to beat at home to have a chance to compete in our conference. I thought we defended really well in the first half, which allowed us to be up 33-23 at the break. Our offense was much better starting the second half, but our defense slipped. After a timeout with 12:30 to go, up 56-41, we challenged our guys to refocus on defense, and we held them to four points over the next nine minutes or so, when we stretched the lead to 27. Everyone had a chance to play and contribute, which is always good for the guys who work so hard in practice and don't always get to play. Tomorrow we start preparing for Polk State."
 
Up Next
Santa Fe (4-1, 1-0 CC) will play the second game of their three-game home stand on Saturday, Feb. 6 against Central Conference foe Polk State College. Tip-off time is 2:00 p.m. 

 

 

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