North SGV News

Even with a conference title off the table, the regular-season finale between No. 6-ranked Citrus College and No. 24-ranked West LA had plenty of excitement Friday night.

The Owls won the thrilling overtime battle 106-101 to move to 25-3 overall and close out Western State Conference-South action with a 13-1 record and their fifth conference championship in six seasons. The Wildcats end the regular season with an 18-10, 10-4 conference record.

Four Owls finished in double figures, with another two right on the cusp. Anthony Tello led Citrus with 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting, also grabbing four rebounds and three assists. Rudy Suarez followed with 17 points (5-for-8 from the perimeter), while Chris Chiles (5-for-9) and Jayden Johnston each added 15 points. Johnston also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds and dished out five assists, while Chiles had seven boards and four assists. Jamal Briscoe (3-for-6) and Uriah Foster (4-for-9) chipped in nine points.

Citrus held a 12-point lead at halftime, but West LA came barreling back to make things interesting and force overtime.

In the extra period, the Owls struck first and built a two-possession lead with just under two minutes left on the clock after going on a 6-0 spurt. Aibigho Ujadughele started and capped the run with a fastbreak layup to put the Owls up 100-94.

The Wildcats tried to stay within reach and drained a big three-pointer to force a Citrus timeout with under a minute to go. Chiles and Foster scored back-to-back points out of the break to all but seal the 106-101 victory.

Citrus will wait to hear its fate for the postseason early next week, with the first round of playoffs scheduled to start on Wednesday, March 1.

Original source can be found here.