PHOENIX, Ariz. — The College of Southern Nevada men's basketball team struggled to find its offensive rhythm Thursday night, falling 74–58 to South Mountain Community College at SMCC Gym in Phoenix.
Freshman guard Jonathan Collins scored a game-high 20 points off the bench, but the Coyotes (1–2) couldn't overcome a difficult shooting night and a sizable rebounding disadvantage as South Mountain improved to 3–0 on the season.
Coming off a 103-point performance against Treasure Valley Community College in their previous outing, the Coyotes were held to just 30.9 percent shooting from the field and connected on only five of their 25 attempts from three-point range.
CSN opened the contest with energy, jumping out to an early 5–0 advantage behind a jumper from sophomore Gerald Patterson and a three-point play from freshman Tyler Bright. However, South Mountain responded and gradually took control of the opening half.
The teams battled through a competitive first 12 minutes, with the score tied at 15 before South Mountain began to pull away. Blake Carabio knocked down three first-half three-pointers to help the Cougars build a 33–21 halftime advantage.
Southern Nevada struggled to generate consistent offense before the break, shooting just 25 percent from the field and connecting on one of 11 attempts from beyond the arc.
The Coyotes showed signs of life in the second half behind Collins, who scored 13 of his 20 points after intermission. His three-pointer with 12:06 remaining sparked a stretch that brought CSN within eight points at 44–36.
Southern Nevada continued to battle, trimming the deficit to seven points at 45–38 on a Bright layup with 10:30 remaining. However, the Cougars answered with a 6–0 run to regain a double-digit advantage.
CSN made another push late, cutting South Mountain's lead to 57–49 on a Patterson layup with 4:38 remaining. The Cougars responded with a three-pointer from Santiago Leyva and maintained control down the stretch to secure the victory.
Collins finished 5-of-13 from the field, including four three-pointers, while adding four steals in 26 minutes. His 20-point performance marked his second consecutive game reaching the 20-point plateau after scoring 22 against Treasure Valley.
Patterson continued his steady start to the season, contributing 12 points and six rebounds. Sophomore Ivoryon Cuffee, who entered the contest averaging 23 points through the opening two games, was limited to nine points.
South Mountain received 15 points from Sekou Sackor, while Nico Velez and Santiago Leyva added 14 apiece. Semajay James controlled the glass with a game-high 11 rebounds.
The Cougars held a commanding 47–33 advantage on the boards and outscored the Coyotes 21–6 in second-chance points. South Mountain also capitalized at the free-throw line, converting 29 of 39 attempts compared to CSN's 19-of-31 performance.
Despite the loss, Southern Nevada forced 19 turnovers and recorded 11 steals, but the Coyotes were unable to turn those opportunities into enough offense to overcome their shooting struggles.
Up Next
The Coyotes conclude their two-game Arizona road trip Friday, November 6, when they face Phoenix College at 7:30 p.m. MST in Phoenix. Saturday's originally scheduled contest against Glendale Community College has been canceled.
Southern Nevada will return to North Las Vegas for its home opener Wednesday, November 11, when the Coyotes host Utah State Eastern at 7 p.m. at the Coyote Event Center.
