© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (4-20-14) — Four members of the Grossmont College men’s basketball team have been named to the 2013-14 All-Pacific Coast Athletic Conference teams.

TYSON KYGAR and MARK OGDEN were selected to the first team and TIM PATRICK and BEN HAYES were tabbed for the second team.

Grossmont finished 18-9 overall and 7-1 in the PCAC, sharing the North Division title with state-ranked Mt. San Jacinto.

By Nick Pellegrino
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-27-14) — The emotion from defeating the top-ranked team in Southern California carried over to a strong, first-half run by Grossmont College in Wednesday's (Feb. 26) CCCAA playoff opener.

However, the first few minutes of the second half saw the Griffins crash back to earth, with a second late-in-the-half rally falling short as visiting Irvine Valley College held on to a 54-50 decision.

"We needed to make some adjustments at the half, but I wonder if we changed too much and the team came out flat," said Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER. "It's hard to put a finger on it, so going out of the playoffs early is frustrating and disappointing."

Irvine Valley received a game-high 19 points from guard Shaquille Hunter, who hit 5-of-8 shots from the arc to seal the victory. The Lasers (25-4) advance to meet second-seeded San Bernardino Valley .

"That was the best Shaquille has shot in his life," said IVC coach Jerry Hernandez . "He kept us in front the entire second half."

Grossmont held slight advantages across the board, except in shooting percentage.

"We limited their second chances, then we took care of the basketball -- just 10 turnovers is a great number for us," noted Weber. "But we didn't do well here and here."

The coach pointed at a piece of paper with the final statistics that matters: 4-for-19 from the arc and a poor 12-for-23 from the foul line.

Included was a 1-for-10 shooting stretch from the floor to open the second half, when IVC turned a 24-23 deficit at the intermission into a 42-32 cushion. Then the roles reversed.

Players from each team were whistled on a double-foul, then the Lasers were nailed for three offensive fouls -- a pair of illegal screens, then a charge -- over a quick span of five possessions. The turnovers allowed Grossmont to charge back.

"But we were never able to re-take the lead," added Weber.

For Grossmont (18-9), forward TIM PATRICK led the way with 15 points and three assists, while guard TYSON KYGAR added 13 points, including two on a wild, kamikaze drive to the basket in the final minutes, getting fouled while scoring to move the Griffins within two points.

But they moved no closer, going 0-for-3 at the foul line in the final minute.

Grossmont yielded a mere four offensive rebounds, as forward MARK OGDEN controlled the glass with a game-high seven boards, while ALI MAJIDZADA came off the bench to grab six rebounds.

Irvine Valley was ranked No. 1 in the Southland over a 3-week period in December when they built an 18-1 record, settling in third place in the Orange Empire Conference, one game behind co-champions Santa Ana and Saddleback.

Grossmont entered the contest after downing Mt. San Jacinto , the top-ranked ballclub during the final week of the regular season, allowing the teams to share the North Division title of the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference.

Griffins head coach Doug Weber (left) and staff. (File photo by Nicole Kallis)

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (02-25-14) — Grossmont College’s DOUG WEBER has been named Pacific Coast Athletic Conference-North Coach of the Year, sharing the honor with Mt. San Jacinto College’s Patrick Springer.

“First off, as I told the players it should be a staff of the year award because my two assistants – JOHN CLARK and CHRIS REID – do a ton of work each week to get our players and myself headed in the right direction,” said Weber.

Four Griffins made all-conference honors. TYSON KYGAR and MARK OGDEN made first team, and TIM PATRICK and BEN HAYES made second team.

The Griffins are paced by Kygar, who averages 17.8 points per game. Ogden is averaging 15.5 points and 10.4 rebounds, Patrick averages 9.6 points and Hayes averages 8.3 points and 5.7 rebounds.

The Griffins will now host Irvine Valley College (24-4) on Wednesday (Feb. 26) in a Southern California Regional play-in game at 7 p.m.

Grossmont (18-8) stunned Mt. San Jacinto College, which was ranked No. 2 in the state at the time, in the regular season finale 74-67.

Grossmont has won 17 of its last 21 games.

“I'm blessed in so many ways,” said Weber. “One, I have really good players that are even better people. So that makes me look better than I actually am. And secondly, I have two really good assistant coaches.

“The neat thing here is they are both former players and have had to deal with me as a coach and wanted to help our guys put up with me. They really had a great time at Grossmont and wanted to in some way give back. They feel a part of the Grossmont family and wanted to see us do great things and be successful.

“The award for me personally is a nice validation that we are doing things like we're supposed to and making a connection with the young men under our leadership. It's also nice for my family to see that the time I put in away from them during the season (yearlong) is put to a good cause. I hope my girls are proud of me.

“It's an honor to earn it along with Patrick Springer who is a helluva coach. He won his 300th game this year and this is probably his fourth or fifth COY if not more. For the other coaches in our league to give us this award as Co-Coaches of the Year shows what a class group they are.

“Difference between this team and others? That's tough,” said Weber. “But the past three years we have had outstanding young men be a part of our program, good players, good citizens, good teammates. This team probably bought into what we wanted to do earlier than some others and that goes back to good assistants and good sophomores.

“Our guys have gotten better individually from last year and throughout this season but they have trusted each other since October and the chemistry has been evident and better since early in the year.”

Irvine Valley was ranked No. 1 in the state over a three-week period in late December/early January after it started the season 12-0 and was later 18-1.

The Lasers are led by all-conference players Shaquille Hunter, Declan Daly, Chris Porter and Dathon Spencer.

Hunter, a sophomore guard, is averaging 14.9 points per game this season. He also has 49 three-pointers.

Tyson Kygar

“This is a big victory for our program,” said Grossmont College assistant coach JOHN CLARK. “We reminded our kids that it’s not very often you get to play against a team ranked the caliber of a Mt. San Jacinto (23-4).”

	Grossmont's Trent Rowser with the driving layin for two. (Photo by Nicole Kallis) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

BEN HAYES also joined the long-ball parade by hitting 2 of 3 as Grossmont finished 12 of 25 from beyond the arc.

The Screaming Eagles were clinging to a 45-43 lead with 14:20 left. That’s when Grossmont put on the brakes, outscoring the Eagles 29-24 down to the finish line.

The Griffins’ last basket came with 7:19 remaining. The Griffs then put the game away by hitting 13 of 16 free throws.

Five Griffins finished in double scoring digits, led by Kygar and Jimenez with 16 apiece. Hagos finished with 12, while Hayes and MARK OGDEN knocked down 10 apiece.

Grossmont, Mt. San Jacinto and San Diego City will be invited to the playoffs when the pairings are announced Monday (Feb. 24). San Diego City won the PCAC-South championship.

Special to East County Sports.com
SAN MARCOS (2-20-14) — Grossmont College is one win away from clinching a tie for the Pacific Coach Athletic Conference-North championship.

The Griffins can tie for PCAC North championship by beating the Mt. San Jacinto College Eagles in Friday’s (Feb. 21) at 5 p.m. at Grossmont.

Mt. San Jacinto , ranked No. 1 in Southern California and No. 2 in the state (behind City College of San Francisco), beat San Diego Miramar 86-62 Wednesday night at Miramar to clinch at least a tie for the championship.

Grossmont comes in Friday 17-8 (6-1 in the PCAC North). Mt. San Jacinto comes in 23-3, 7-0. The Eagles won in the first round meeting between the two teams 70-57 on Jan. 22 in Hemet . Dwayne Benjamin, a 6-foot-6 sophomore guard from Lafayette , Louisiana who signed early with Oregon , led the Eagles in that game with 33 points and 12 rebounds.

In the game leading up to the championship showdown, Grossmont edged Palomar, 70-67, Wednesday night (Feb. 19) in the Comets’ Dome.

MARK OGDEN led the Griffins with 20 points (5 field goals, 10-for-14 from the free throw line). He also grabbed a team best 14 rebounds, playing the final 4 minutes, 45 seconds with four fouls.

TYSON KYGAR scored 18 points, while TIM PATRICK 12 points and 10 rebounds (playing the final 10 minutes with four fouls). BEN HAYES scored 10 points and had 8 rebounds for the Griffins.

For Palomar, Derick Jones scored 28 points and Jeremy Franklin scored 18.

Grossmont led 37-29 at the half. Palomar came back in the second half and went on an 8-2 run to tie it up at 39-39 on a 3-pointer by Aaron Roedl with 16:49 left in the game. The Griffins responded with a 12-0 run over the next 4 minutes, 46 seconds to take a 51-39 lead. Kygar scored 7 points in that run and Hayes scored the other 5.

But back came Palomar again. The Comets pulled to within 68-67 with 41 seconds to play on a 3-pointer by Jones. But the G-House scored the game’s final 3 points on 2 free throws by Ogden and one free throw by Kygar to win it.

The Griffins won by making free throws down the stretch. ALI MAJIDZADA made their final field goal of the night with 7:10 left. Their final 12 points came from the free throw line. Grossmont was 29-for-39 from the line for the game, while Palomar was 14-28 from the line. The Comets outscored the Griffins from the field 53-41.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-15-14) — Grossmont College (16-8, 5-1 PCAC-North) remains one game behind No. 2 state ranked Mt. San Jacinto College (22-3, 6-0 PCAC-North) with two games to play.

The Griffins grounded the Miramar College Jets on Friday (Feb. 14) in the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference-North 71-61 at Grossmont.

MARK OGDEN led the Griffins brigade with 24 points and 9 rebounds.

TIM PATRICK came off the bench to add 16 points and 9 rebounds for the Griffins, who have lost only one game at home all season.

TYSON KYGAR was held scoreless but contributed 8 assists.

“You know, it’s not all about scoring points,” said Griffins assistant coach JOHN CLARK. “Kygar played his role and knows what the team needs at the moment. He’s such a strong leader.”

BEN HAYES added 8 points and 7 rebounds, while ANDRES JIMENEZ chipped in 8 points and 3 assists.

Remaining on its slate, Grossmont will play Palomar on Wednesday (Feb. 19) in San Marcos at 5 p.m. The first time these met the Griffins won 98-97 in triple overtime.

Grossmont then will close its campaign against Mt. San Jacinto at Grossmont at Friday (Feb. 21) at 5 p.m.

© East County Sports.com
SAN DIEGO (2-13-14) — Visiting Grossmont College could not maintain a 34-28 halftime lead in Wednesdays’ (Feb. 12) Pacific Coast Athletic Conference crossover game at San Diego City College .

San Diego City, which is undefeated in the PCAC-South division, made a late comeback to secure a 76-69 victory over the Griffins (15-8).

Grossmont is in second place in the PCAC-North with a 4-1 record and three games to play.

“We were in control all the way until about the last five minutes,” said Grossmont assistant coach JOHN CLARK. “Then they started hitting shots and couldn’t miss.”

MARK OGDEN carried the Grossmont offense with 25 points and 11 rebounds. He was 7-for-12 from the field and 11-for-12 from the free throw line.

SHANE SHELTON (Helix) contributed 8 points off the bench for the Griffins and did not miss a shot, including a pair of 3s.

Chris Burton led San Diego City with 20 points, while Caleb Singleton hit five 3-pointers on his way to a 19-point finish.

Grossmont will finish the regular season with two of their last three games at home. The finale will be Friday (Feb. 21) against Mt. San Jacinto , the No. 3 ranked team in the state and the only team to beat the Griffins in PCAC-North play.

Prior to that Grossmont will host the Miramar Jets on Friday (Feb. 14) at 5 p.m.

The Griffins will play their final road game at Palomar on Wednesday (Feb. 19) at 5 p.m. These teams played a one-point triple-overtime game in the first round.

© East County Sports.com
OCEANSIDE (2-8-14) — Sparked by a pair of monster dunks from MARK OGDEN and TIM PATRICK, visiting Grossmont College edged host MiraCosta, 55-51, in Friday’s (Feb. 7) Pacific Coast Athletic Conference North Division action.

Patrick’s slam was a SportsCenter-type highlight dunk.

The victory enabled the Griffins (15-7, 4-1) to remain on the heels of Mt. San Jacinto (20-3, 4-0), the state’s No. 3-ranked team.

Ogden paced the Griffins with 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Patrick punched in 12 points grabbed 8 rebounds, blocked 2 shots and absorbed a pair of charges.

TYSON KYGAR contributed a season low 6 points.

Next up for the Griffins is a PCAC crossover battle Wednesday (Feb. 12) at San Diego City College at 5 p.m.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-6-14) — Grossmont College ran its winning streak over Cuyamaca College to five straight by caging the Coyotes, 70-65, in Wednesday’s (Feb. 5) Pacific Coast Athletic Conference crossover action.

The Griffins, in fact, have won 8 of 11 over Cuyamaca.

With 49 seconds remaining, the Griffins were clinging to a 66-65 advantage. They stretched their edge to 68-65 on free throws by MARK OGDEN and TIM PATRICK with 15 seconds remaining.

With 4 seconds left, TYSON KYGAR blocked a 3-point shot attempt by one of Cuyamaca’s top shooters.

Ogden then iced the victory with a pair of free throws for the Griffins (14-7).

ANDRES JIMENEZ paced a balanced Grossmont attack with 14 points.

Kygar and YUEL HAGOS chipped in with 12 points apiece. The majority of Hagos’ scoring came on a trio of triples.

Patrick and Ogden contributed 10 points each.

TERRENCE COLE (Helix) knocked down 17 points to lead Cuyamaca (10-12). GARRETT LARCH-MILLER (Granite Hills) added 13 points, and SHANE DILLON (Christian) was limited to 9.

Grossmont begins the second round of PCAC-North play Friday (Feb. 7) at MiraCosta at 5 p.m. The Griffins trail Mt. San Jacinto, the No. 3 ranked team in the state, by one game.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (2-1-14) — Grossmont College let one slip away in Friday night’s (Jan. 31) Pacific Coast Athletic Conference as Imperial Valley College upset the Griffins, 74-71.

It was only the third loss in the last 14 games for Grossmont, which is 13-7 overall and 3-1 in the PCAC-North.

TYSON KYGAR paced the Griffins with 16 points, but was limited to Grossmont’s only 3-pointer of the game.

MARK OGDEN added 12 points and 8 rebounds, while ALI MAJIDZADA followed with 10 points.

Once again Grossmont got a strong effort off the bench from TIM PATRICK, who powered in 15 points and 7 rebounds.

Grossmont trailed by 9 at halftime but kept pecking away, but couldn’t overhaul the visiting Arabs.

Next up for the Griffins is a road trip to District rival Cuyamaca on Wednesday (Feb. 5) at 5 p.m.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (1-30-14) — TYSON KYGAR hit four 3-point shots in the first five minutes of the second half of Wednesday’s (Jan. 29) Pacific Coast Athletic Conference game against visiting San Diego Mesa, helping the Griffins dump the Olympians 86-75.

Kygar finished with a team best 22 points for Grossmont, which won for the 12th time in its last 14 starts. Overall, the Griffins are 13-6 with a PCAC-North mark of 4-1.

MARK OGDEN came up big for the Griffins, rolling a double-double of 16 points and 16 rebounds.

TIM PATRICK tipped in 12 points and added 4 boards, while BEN HAYES contributed 11 points and 5 rebounds.

YUEL HAGOS came off the bench to pitch in 8 points, the majority of them coming on a pair of 3-pointers.

As a team Grossmont was 10-for-20 from 3-point distance.

“We went up by 20 points in the second half before making a lot of substitutions,” said Griffins assistant coach JOHN CLARK. “Our bench definitely gives us a lot of options.”

Next up, the Griffins host Imperial Valley College on Friday (Jan. 31) at 5 p.m.

© East County Sports.com
CHULA VISTA (1-25-14) — Grossmont College returned to the winning column for the 11th time in its last 13 starts Friday (Jan. 24) as the Griffins edged host Southwestern College, 54-48, in a Pacific Coast Athletic Conference game.

The Griffins improved their overall mark to 12-6.

Grossmont hosts San Diego Mesa College in a PCAC encounter on Wednesday (Jan. 29) at 5 p.m.

No other information was provided.

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
HEMET (1-23-14) — Mt. San Jacinto College took a 15-4 lead over visiting Grossmont College and never looked back as the Screaming Eagles claimed a 70-57 Pacific Coast Athletic Conference-North battle of unbeatens on Wednesday (Jan. 22).

TIM PATRICK led the Griffins with 15 points and 7 rebounds, while TYSON KYGAR added 13 points including a trio of triples.

The missing factor for Grossmont was limited play by MARK OGDEN, who was in foul trouble in the first six minutes. He finished with 7 points and 6 rebounds – about half his season average.

The loss was only their second in the last 12 games for the Griffins (11-6, 3-1 PCN).

Mt. San Jacinto leads the PCN with an overall mark of 15-3, 4-0.

“They’re pretty big and they have really long arms,” said Griffins head coach DOUG WEBER. “You don’t get any cheap ones off those guys.”

Grossmont made only 6 of 14 free throws.

“You can’t get away with shooting like that, not against a team like Mt. San Jacinto ,” said Weber. “Once we fell behind early it was like changing service. We couldn’t make up any ground. They did a nice job of guarding us, frustrating us.”

Grossmont will face Mt. San Jacinto one more time as they host the final game of the regular season on Friday (Feb. 21).

In the meantime the Griffins will play the Pacific Coast South teams in a crossover schedule. Their next game will be at Southwestern on Friday (Jan. 24) at 7 p.m.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (1-18-14) — It took three overtimes for host Grossmont College to edge Palomar College 98-97 in Friday’s (Jan. 17) Pacific Coast Athletic Conference North encounter.

ALI MAJIDZADA, who missed the first free throw, hit the second one for what proved to be the winning marker with 5 seconds remaining in the final overtime as the Griffins won for the 10th time in their last 11 starts.

The game was tied at 68-68 at the end of regulation as the Griffins failed to hold a 4-point lead in the final 26 seconds.

It was tied at 75 after the first overtime.

In the second overtime Palomar forged in front 80-75 as both teams were in foul trouble at this point. That’s when Grossmont’s MARK OGDEN took over. Ogden, who finished with 35 points and 18 rebounds, then scored 4 of the next 5 markers to make it a 2-point game.

After a Palomar basket stretched the Comets’ advantage to 4, TYSON KYGAR made a jump shot to slice the deficit in half. Majidzada followed with a jump shot and an and-one, giving the Griffins the lead.

But that wouldn’t stand up as the Comets led 86-84 with 3 seconds left in the second overtime. Kygar then hit two free throws to propel the game into the third overtime.

Once again Palomar marched in front only to have Ogden hit a jumper to tie it at 88-all. Kygar, who finished with 24 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds, sank a jumper to regain the lead.

Ogden then followed that play by hitting 2 free throws to make it a 4-point Griffins lead. The 6-foot-7 Ogden was 13 of 14 from the free throw line, and 11 of 18 from the field. He made a resounding slam dunk, staking the Griffins to a 94-90 advantage with 2:04 remaining.

But once again Palomar kept pecking away, cutting the Griffins’ lead to 94-92 with 1:53 left.

Kygar countered for the Griffins with a free throw and a layup, giving Grossmont a 5-point advantage with 26 seconds remaining.

Then it came down to Majidzada to the rescue.

BEN HAYES chipped in 12 points and 9 rebounds for Grossmont (11-5, 3-0 PCAC-North).

Majidzada finished with 8 points and 5 rebounds, while DARIUS JAMES contributed 7 points, 6 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks.

“This game showed what kind of special group of guys we have,” said Griffins assistant coach JOHN CLARK. “We were in foul trouble at the end of regulation and all the way through the overtimes, but our bench came through for us, picked up the slack.”

Grossmont will travel to Hemet to face Mt. San Jacinto for the PCAC-North lead on Wednesday (Jan. 22).

Note: The triple-overtime was Grossmont's first since nipping Mesa, 104-102, during the 2010-11 season. Before that was a loss in four overtimes in a state playoff contest at Santa Barbara City College in the 1990s.

© East County Sports.com
MIRA MESA (1-16-14) — Sophomore TYSON KYGAR scored 29 points to lead visiting Grossmont College to a 68-57 victory over the Miramar College Jets in a Pacific Coast Athletic Conference North Division match-up.

Kygar nailed a trio of 3-pointers, but the game wasn’t all about him.

“We powered the ball inside against this team, whose tallest player is 6-foot-4,” said Griffins assistant coach JOHN CLARK.

Six-foot-8 MARK OGDEN landed 18 points and snagged 8 rebounds for the Griffins, who have won nine of their last 10 games.

TIM PATRICK pitched in with 10 points and 6 rebounds for Grossmont (2-0, 10-5), which is tied for the North lead with Mt. San Jacinto .

The Griffins have won three straight and 9 of their last 10 outings. Miramar fell to 2-1, 8-8.

The game was tied with the Jets at 29-29 by halftime.

“We got a lot of stops and Tyson came alive,” Clark said. “We were stacking up stops in the second half and did a job of making quick breaks to the basket. It was a completely different game after halftime.”

Grossmont will host North rival Palomar on Friday (Jan. 17) at 5 p.m.

Grossmont's Tim Patrick skies over MiraCosta for the bucket. (Photo by Nicole Kallis) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS Patrick earns PCAC honors  © East County Sports.com SAN MARCOS (1-814) — The Pacific Coast Athletic Conference honored Grossmont College basketball player TIM PATRICK as one of its men’s Athletes of the Week for the period ending Sunday (Jan. 5). Patrick, a 6-foot-6 sophomore forward out of University City High School who also is a standout receiver for the Griffins in football, had 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists last Monday as Grossmont defeated Cypress 87-75 in the third-place game of the Mesa/Holiday Inn Tournament hosted by Mesa. He contributed 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals against the Chargers. Patrick, coming off the bench as he continues to adjust from football, sparked the G-House with 38 points, 27 rebounds and seven blocks as the Griffins went 2-1 in the tournament. — Nick Pellegrino

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (1-9-14) — TYSON KYGAR seems to excel in pressure situations. That was the case when he was a big-time scorer in high school at El Capitan and now as sophomore at Grossmont College.

“I’m not as big a scorer up here (Grossmont),” understated Kygar, who leads the Griffins with a 21-plus scoring average, assists and steals, yet he’s proven to be a more complete player for the Griffins (9-5).

Kygar led the Griffins with 19 points as they knocked off visiting MiraCosta College, 69-61, in Wednesday’s (Jan. 8) opening game of Pacific Coast Athletic Conference action.

Kygar nailed 7 of 12 shots from the field, including a pair of treys as the Griffins led the Spartans coast-to-coast.

Grossmont could have shifted into cruise control much earlier had it not made only 12 of 26 free throws.

“We’ve struggled at the free throw line all year,” said Kygar, who was 3 for 6 from the charity stripe.

But he came up big when the game was on the line.

“When it comes to crunch time I wanna be on the free throw line and in position to take shots,” Kygar said.

Coach DOUG WEBER stationed Kygar at point guard when the sophomore usually plays the shooting guard.

“I’m not sure if that was a great move or not but the kid is so talented, we got away with it,” said Weber.

During his high school career it was routine for Kygar to score 30-plus points. Those days have vanished.

“Sometimes it’s my night to score 30 points – other times it’s not,” Kygar said. “We have a lot of good shooters on this team and I’m not afraid to pass the ball to them.”

Kygar scored the last 8 points for the Griffins.

“He’s an unselfish player,” Weber said of Kygar. “To him it’s not about how many points he scores, it’s whether we win the game or not. But one thing for sure is, he’s better off as our two-guard where he can catch and shoot.”

MARK OGDEN added 16 points for the Griffins, hitting 8 of 19 shots from the field, grabbed 8 rebounds and blocked 2 shots.

“What do you remember about Ogden at Steele Canyon?” Weber quizzed. “He was sitting on the end of the bench. In his two years here he’s grown 3 inches, packed on 10 pounds and attracted colleges from all over."

“There were a handful of college representatives here tonight to watch at least four of our kids, including Ogden .”

BEN HAYES added 9 points and 6 rebounds for the Griffins. ANDRES JIMENEZ chipped in with 7 points and 5 rebounds.

Grossmont has a bye on Friday (Jan. 10) and will play at Miramar College on Wednesday (Jan. 15) at 7 p.m.

Notes: The new-look PCAC is now split into a pair of 5-team divisions with the addition of Mt. SanJacinto College of southwestern Riverside County. The Eagles are joined in the North by the Griffins, MiraCosta, Palomar and SDMiramar.

© East County Sports.com
KEARNY MESA (12-31-13) — TYSON KYGAR drilled in 25 points, including 4 triples as Grossmont College clipped Cypress College 86-75 in Monday’s (Dec. 30) third-place game of the Holiday Inn-San Diego Mesa College Tournament.

TIM PATRICK came off the Griffins bench to deliver a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds, and was named to the all-tournament team.

MARK OGDEN chipped in 10 points and 6 boards for the Griffins, who rallied from a 37-33 halftime deficit to post their seventh win in the last eight games.

Grossmont (8-5 overall) built a 22-point second-half lead and then cruised to the finish line.

Three of the Griffins’ losses this season have come by 5 points or fewer.

Grossmont will open the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference season with a double-header on Wednesday (Jan. 8), hosting MiraCosta at 7 p.m., following the women's game at 5 p.m.

© East County Sports.com
KEARNY MESA (12-29-13) — Grossmont College will face the Cypress College Chargers in Monday’s (Dec. 30) third-place game of the Holiday Inn-San Diego Mesa College Tournament at 1:30 p.m.

The Griffins (7-5) saw their six-game winning streak snapped on Sunday (Dec. 29) via a 68-64 loss to Glendale (CA).

No other information was reported.

© East County Sports.com
KEARNY MESA (12-29-13) — MARK OGDEN knocked down 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds propelling visiting Grossmont College to a 74-58 victory over Santa Ana in Saturday’s (Dec. 28) opening round of the Holiday Inn-San Diego Mesa College Tournament.

It was the sixth straight victory for the Griffins (7-4), who face Glendale (Calif.) in Sunday’s (Dec. 29) semifinals at 6:30 p.m. at Mesa.

BEN HAYES punched in 14 points and cleared five boards to lead Grossmont’s supporting cast. TIM PATRICK came off the bench for 9 points and 12 rebounds.

ALI MAJIDZADA tossed in 10 points.

“We took command from the jump in our quest to set the tone early,” Grossmont assistant JOHN CLARK said. “We did a really good job as a whole.”

By Bill Dickens
© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-19-13) — Despite playing for only the first time in 10 days the Grossmont Griffins were not lacking for excitement in Wednesday’s (Dec. 18) non-conference encounter against visiting El Camino-Compton Center (the former Compton College).

TYSON KYGAR nailed a three-pointer with four seconds left in overtime to lift the Griffins (6-4) to a 74-71 win over the Tartars. It was Kygar’s 7th triple of the game as he finished with 27 points.

“That was pretty dramatic,” exclaimed Grossmont assistant coach JOHN CLARK. “Just clutch all the way.”

The Tartars (4-8) held an 11-point lead midway through the second half before Kygar and MARK OGDEN led a Grossmont comeback. Ogden tallied 15 points, 9 rebounds and blocked three shots during the final 20 minutes.

“This was a huge win for us,” Clark said.

Grossmont outscored ECC 11-8 in the extra stanza.

TIM PATRICK chipped in 9 points, 5 rebounds and three blocks in the second half and the OT for the Griffins who posted their 5th consecutive win.

Guard DARIUS JAMES added 5 assists, and Kygar snagged 6 rebounds.

Grossmont will take another lengthy break before opening at the Holiday Inn-San Diego Mesa Tournament on Dec. 28 against Santa Ana at 5 p.m.

2013-14 Grossmont College "Griffins" 42nd annual Grossmont Invitational Champions ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Grossmont College head coach Doug Weber presents Mark Ogden (top) with MVP award while Tyson Kygar (bottom) earned a berth on the all-tournament team. (Photos by Nicole Kallis)

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-9-13) — MARK OGDEN earned most valuable player honors in leading Grossmont College to a 76-68 victory over Cerritos College in Sunday’s (Dec. 8) championship game of the 42nd annual Grossmont College Invitational.

Ogden, a 6-foot-7 sophomore, registered game highs of 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Griffins (5-4), who have won four in a row.

TYSON KYGAR chipped in with 13 points and was named to the all-tournament team.

This was no two-man show, however, as the Griffins straight-armed the Falcons.

Football player-turned-basketball star TIM PATRICK had a grand finale with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks.

“We’re really starting to click now,” said Griffins assistant coach JOHN CLARK. “Our players are confident and excited about every game.”

Darius James (left) dribbles between his legs, while Tim Patrick (right, 40) will go coast-to-coast for the layin against Cerritos in a 76-68 triumph. (Photos by Nicole Kallis)

Grossmont's Tim Patrick. does it on both ends of the court, dribbling past a defender from Victor Valley, then rejecting an inside shot by a member of the Rams. (Photos by Nicole Kallis) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

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EL CAJON (12-8-13) — In a battle of two of the highest scoring teams in the state, Grossmont College toppled Victor Valley College, 92-76, in Saturday’s (Dec. 7) semifinals of the 42nd Annual Grossmont College Tournament.

The Griffins (4-4), who have won their last three, will host Cerritos College in Sunday’s (Dec. 8) tournament championship game at 5 p.m.

MARK OGDEN anchored the Griffins victory over Victor Valley with 27 points and 19 rebounds.

TYSON KYGAR pitched in with 22 points – the majority coming on 6 buckets from above the arc.

ANDRES JIMENEZ joined Grossmont’s balanced attack with 17 points, most coming on his 5 of 6 three-point shooting.

The Griffins recorded 24 assists on 36 field goals made. They shot 60 percent from the field overall and 57 percent from 3-point range.

“ Ogden had a really good game,” said Griffins assistant coach CHRIS REID. “We started out really well – matching bucket-for-bucket. The momentum really changed 100 percent in our favor when TIM PATRICK came in and had a key block.

“Our whole bench saw action for the second night in a row.”

Grossmont has scored 193 points in the first two games of the tournament.

Thomas Butler (top) with the pull-up jumper in Friday's victory over West L.A. Later, Darius James (bottom) drives into heavy traffic for a layin for two points.. (Photos by Nicole Kallis) ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

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EL CAJON (12-7-13) — Twelve Grossmont College players scored in Friday’s (Dec. 6) opening round 101-71 victory over West Los Angeles in the 42nd annual Grossmont College Tournament.

TYSON KYGAR sank 18 points, including 5 of 6 shooting from beyond the arc. He also recorded 4 steals and dished 4 assists.

BEN HAYES nailed 16 points, including 4-for-4 from 3-point land and plucked 6 rebounds for the Griffins (3-4).

Other contributors for the Griffins were ALI MAJIDZADA (13 points, 5 rebounds), TRENT ROWSER (11 points, 1 trey, 5 rebounds), SHANE SHELTON (10 points, 2 threes), MARK OGDEN (8 points, 11 rebounds), YUEL HAGOS (7 pts, 1 trey), DARIUS JAMES (6 pts), THOMAS BUTLER (5 pts, 1 three), PEN MOA (3 pts, 7 rebounds in 12 minutes), TIM PATRICK 2 (6 rebounds, 3 assists in 12 minutes), KEVIN BUTTY (2 points).

As a team, the Griffins buried 14 of 18 shots from three-point range.

Grossmont meets Victor Valley (8-1) in Saturday’s (Dec. 7) semifinals on the Griffins’ floor at 6 p.m. Victor Valley beat Cerritos 106-100 in the first round.

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EL CAJON (12-5-13) — Head coach DOUG WEBER and his Grossmont College Griffins will host the 42nd annual Grossmont College Men’s Basketball Tournament on Friday through Sunday (Dec. 6-8).

Grossmont (2-4) opens the eight-team tournament against the West Los Angeles Oilers on Friday at 6 p.m.

Other first-round games include Southwestern vs. Cerritos ( Norwalk ), 2 p.m; College of the Desert ( Palm Desert ), 4 p.m.; and the evening finale matching Victor Valley and Los Angeles Southwest at 8 p.m.

Games are scheduled for 2, 4, 6 and 8 p.m. on Saturday (Dec. 7). The championship game is slated for 5 p.m.

Mark Ogden (top) scored a game- high14 points, including this slam dunk against El Camino. Taking the charge on defense is Griffins defender Darius James (bottom). (Photos by Nicole Kallis)

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EL CAJON (11-28-13) — Six-foot-7 sophomore MARK OGDEN turned in his finest game of the young season Wednesday (Nov. 27) in leading Grossmont College to a 62-48 non-conference victory over visiting El Camino.

Ogden, a product of Steele Canyon, knocked down 14 points, corralled 13 rebounds and dished 4 assists as the Griffins (2-4) snapped a three-game losing streak.

“Mark played really aggressively,” said Grossmont College assistant coach JOHN CLARK.

Guard YUEL HAGOS (Mount Miguel) came off the Grossmont bench to contribute a college high 14 points, including 4 three-pointers, gekping Grossmont to claim its home opener.

“It was a nice breakout game for Hagos,” Clark noted.

Mission Viejo High graduate BEN HAYES pitched in 11 points for the Griffins, while sharpshooter TYSON KYGAR was held to a season low 8 points by the Warriors. He came in averaging more than 25 points per game but was more of a decoy against El Camino (2-4).

“Tyson is our captain and he knows his role,” said Clark. “It changes from game to game, but he wants to win.

“The game was a little ragged because we hadn’t played in 10 days. We started out slow and gradually picked up the pace.”

Grossmont led 22-17 at halftime.

The Griffins’ next game will be in the first round of the 42nd annual Grossmont College Invitational on Friday (Dec. 6) at 6 p.m.

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SAN DIEGO (11-17-13) — Grossmont College continues to face a tough round of early challenges as the Griffins took on powerful Porterville in Saturday’s (Nov. 16) second round of the San Diego City College Tournament.

In another back-and-forth duel, the Griffins (1-4) came up short 69-66 and were eliminated from the event.

TYSON KYGAR once again was an offensive juggernaut for the Griffins with 25 points, including a pair of 3s and 4 rebounds.

BEN HAYES chipped in with 14 points and 5 boards against the Pirates.

Probably what hurt the Griffins the most was they made only 18 of 29 free throws, and lost out on the boards 40-34.

Grossmont will play a home opener on Wednesday (Nov. 27) against El Camino College at 5 p.m., and will then host the annual 3-day Grossmont College Invitational beginning Friday (Dec. 6) through Sunday (Dec. 8).

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SAN DIEGO (11-16-13) — Grossmont College narrowly missed pulling a major upset in Friday’s (Nov. 15) first round of the San Diego City College Tournament as the Griffins fell to defending state champion Mt. San Antonio, 72-71, at Harry West Gymnasium.

MARTIN PANAYOTOV (West Hills) hit a 3-pointer with 6 seconds remaining, leaving the Griffins one point behind.

Grossmont would not get another chance as the Mounties held on to the victory.

“This was a great game – it went back and forth,” said Grossmont assistant coach JOHN CLARK. “We were down by 9 at halftime but then mounted a decent run to take a 1-point lead. Then we traded baskets after that.”

TYSON KYGAR ( El Capitan ) paced Grossmont with 31 points and 4 assists. He was 5-for-9 in shots above the arc.

Steele Canyon product MARK OGDEN contributed 20 points and 9 rebounds for Grossmont (1-3).

Panayotov chipped in with 10 points off the bench.

Grossmont will face Porterville on Saturday (Nov. 16) at 3 p.m. in the San Diego City gym.

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PALM DESERT (11-10-13) — Grossmont College could not maintain a 39-35 lead in the first half, and eventually lost to Glendale (Ariz.), 80-75, in Saturday’s (Nov. 9) in the finals of the College of the Desert Tournament.

TYSON KYGAR led the Griffins with 23 points and MARK OGDEN added 14 points and 12 rebounds for Grossmont (1-2).

BEN HAYES pitched in 13 points and 8 rebounds for the Griffins.

Grossmont will move into the San Diego City College Tournament, meeting Mt. San Antonio College on Friday (Nov. 15) at 7 p.m. at Harry West Gymnasium on day one of the tourney.

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PALM DESERT (11-9-13) — In Friday's (Nov. 8) semifinals of the College of the Desert Tournament, Grossmont College was slaughtered by San Bernardino Valley College, 90-52, leveling the Griffins’ record at 1-1.

TYSON KYGAR led the Griffins with 14 points and ALI MAJIDZADA chipped in with 12.

MARK OGDEN led the Griffins on the boards with 10 rebounds.

Grossmont concludes COD Tournament play on Saturday (Nov. 9) against Glendale, Ariz.

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PALM DESERT (11-9-13) — Fast starts have not been common for the Grossmont College men’s basketball teams of late. Part of the reason for that is Griffins coach DOUG WEBER puts together a rugged preseason schedule.

There’s been a bit of a change in the early going this season.

The Griffins, who rarely win their opening game, began the season Thursday (Nov. 7) by crushing host College of the Desert in the tournament of the same name, 88-74.

TYSON KYGAR paced the Griffins with 33 points, including 5 triples in a game that Grossmont never trailed.

BEN HAYES, a 6-foot-5 forward out of Mission Viejo, added 14 points, while Steele Canyon product MARK OGDEN chipped in with a dozen.

The victory was the team's first in a seaosn opener since 2007-08.

Grossmont, which led 48-26 at the half, will face San Bernardino Valley College on Friday (Nov. 8) at 3 p.m.

The Griffins will conclude the COD Tournament against Glendale, AZ on Saturday (Nov. 9) at 3 p.m.

A Quick Glance...

Local players to watch for the Griffins this season – in addition to the aforementioned trio – are Mount Miguel products THOMAS BUTLER, YUEL HAGOS and West Hills graduate MARTIN PANYOTAV.