Men’s basketball opens season 3-0

Amanda L. Booren - 11/6/2008 Maurice McNeil and the San Jacinto College men’s basketball team opened the 2008-09 season 3-0.

The seventh-ranked San Jacinto College men’s basketball team opened the 2008-09 campaign 3-0 at home, and heads into the team's first road test, Saturday afternoon at Temple College.

San Jac, ranked seventh in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) preseason poll, and picked to win the Region XIV title, tipped off the season in style with a pair of victories at the San Jacinto/Sam Cassell Classic at Anders Gymnasium.

The team pounded the Houston Gladiators 113-60 on opening night behind 21 points from star sophomore forward Maurice McNeil, a third-team preseason All-American. Two freshmen looking to add a scoring punch also delivered big nights. Dion Prewster scored 14 points and Jerrod Tillmon added 12 in the win.

In the tournament finale Saturday afternoon against Kingwood, San Jac built a 50-41 halftime lead en route to an eventual 94-86 victory. Tillmon led the way with 21 points while sophomore Devin McDonald, one of just five San Jacinto returnees, added 14 points and five assists.

San Jac ran the streak to three games after bouncing Lone Star - Cy-Fair, 92-52 Monday night at Anders. McNeil had 21 of his 29 points in the first half as SJC raced out to a 46-24 halftime edge. Sophomore Andrew Gonzalez had his best scoring night of the young season with 14 points, including three makes from behind the arc.

After the brief trip to Temple this weekend, San Jac returns home on Monday, November 10 to take on Coastal Bend. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. at Anders Gymnasium, located on the San Jacinto College Central campus at 8060 Spencer Highway in Pasadena.