LOS ANGELES, CA – The Citrus College men’s basketball team continued their dominant season on Wednesday night, securing their 19th consecutive conference victory with a 100-92 win over West Los Angeles College at Wildcat Pavilion. The Owls remain undefeated in conference play, showcasing their resilience and depth in a hard-fought battle against a competitive West LA squad.
Back-and-Forth Battle in the First Half
The game started as a tightly contested matchup, with both teams trading baskets early on. West LA’s Jayden Hosein and Chidubem Akametu led the Wildcats with aggressive play in the paint, keeping Citrus on their toes. The Owls, led by Tyler Isaak’s hot shooting, found ways to counter West LA’s offensive push. Isaak poured in 28 points on 12-for-20 shooting, including two three-pointers, setting the tone for Citrus offensively.
Despite West LA’s early edge, Citrus found momentum late in the first half behind key defensive stops from Pejan Slater and JJ Mitchell, who combined for three steals and eight rebounds. At halftime, the Owls trailed 50-53, a rare position for the undefeated team.
Citrus Storms Back in the Second Half
The Owls came out firing in the second half, quickly erasing the deficit with a combination of sharp shooting and suffocating defense. Isaak continued to dominate, while Blake Ballard’s presence at the free-throw line proved crucial—he went 12-for-13 from the stripe, finishing with 19 points.
Ryan Raad and Brady Cook also played vital roles, hitting clutch three-pointers to swing the momentum in Citrus’ favor. Cook finished with seven points, six rebounds, and three assists, while Raad contributed 10 points and two rebounds.
As the game entered its final minutes, Citrus locked in defensively, forcing key turnovers and making critical free throws to close out the Wildcats. Amiri Meadows and KJ Perry controlled the tempo, combining for seven assists and four steals, ensuring the Owls maintained their lead down the stretch.
Owls Dominate the Stat Sheet
Citrus outperformed West LA in several key categories, including rebounding (42-36) and free-throw efficiency (79.5% to 61.9%). Their ball movement was exceptional, dishing out 26 assists as a team, compared to West LA’s 18. The Owls’ depth was also on full display, with multiple players stepping up off the bench.
Despite West LA’s strong offensive showing, led by Hosein’s 26 points and Akametu’s 21, Citrus’ ability to execute in the clutch solidified their perfect conference record.
One More to Go
With this victory, Citrus College extends their undefeated conference streak to 19-0, cementing their position as the top team in the conference. The Owls will look to complete a perfect 20-0 conference season in their final matchup against Glendale College on Friday. A win would cap off an already historic regular season and give them major momentum heading into the postseason.
