Mt. San Jacinto College men’s basketball kicked off the 2026-27 season with two impressive home wins during the Eagle Tip-off Classic on October 29 and 30. The Eagles first rallied from a 10-0 deficit to defeat Southwestern 92-83, then followed with a 99-81 victory over LA Southwest.
In the opening game against Southwestern, Mt. San Jacinto College overcame its early struggles by closing the first half down just 34-33. Corey Mitchell led a second-half surge, scoring 24 of his 30 points, while Daniel Crawford posted a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Gor-El Zollicoffer added 19 points, and Quinton Skinner provided a near double-double off the bench with 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists. Stephen Castleberry’s timely free throws gave the Eagles a lead they maintained to the final buzzer.
The second game saw the Eagles again trail early, falling behind LA Southwest 9-3. Mt. San Jacinto College responded with a dominant 34-14 run before halftime to take a 54-41 lead. Zollicoffer led all scorers with 32 points, hitting 11 of 19 shots including six three-pointers. Mitchell contributed 18 points, and Crawford narrowly missed a second double-double with 12 points and 9 rebounds. Castleberry, Skinner, and Caio Da Silva each added 9 points in the win.
With the wins, Mt. San Jacinto College improved to 2-0 and will visit San Diego City College on November 3 before returning home to face Citrus College on November 6.
CSB Take
Mt. San Jacinto College has started the season with resilience and balanced scoring that bodes well for its Inland Empire Athletic Conference campaign. Corey Mitchell’s late second-half surge and Gor-El Zollicoffer’s sharpshooting highlight the team’s offensive strengths. Sustaining this momentum against upcoming opponents will be critical as the Eagles aim to establish themselves early as conference contenders.
Source: Original report
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