No. 3 Citrus Overwhelms Bakersfield, Extends Win Streak to 13

No. 3-ranked Citrus College Men's Basketball rolled past Bakersfield College, 109–78, on Wednesday night to improve to 18-1 overall and 5-0 in conference play, extending its winning streak to 13 games.

The Owls and Renegades traded punches early, with three ties and three lead changes in the opening five minutes, before Citrus seized control behind a dominant first half. The Owls shot 52.5 percent from the field (21 of 40) and 63.6 percent from three-point range (7 of 11), while forcing 10 Bakersfield turnovers and holding the Renegades without a made three (0 of 10) before halftime.

Leo Ricketts scored 14 points and Dev Hamilton added 12 as both lead all scorers in the opening half as Citrus took a 54–37 advantage into the break.

Citrus stayed efficient in the second half, outscoring Bakersfield 55–41. The Owls went 19 of 42 from the field, knocked down four more three-pointers and converted 13 of 18 free throws. Citrus also forced 16 second-half turnovers and cruised the rest of the way.

The Owls finished the night shooting 48.8 percent from the field (40 of 82) and knocked down 11 three-pointers at a 45.8 percent clip, while Bakersfield connected on 47.2 percent overall (34 of 72) but struggled from deep, going just 3 of 19 (15.8 percent). The Owls held a decisive edge at the free-throw line, converting 18 of 26 attempts, and dominated the turnover battle by forcing 27 Renegade miscues, which led to a 35–13 advantage in points off turnovers. Citrus also controlled the glass, 45–42, and finished with advantages in assists (25–18), points in the paint (54–48), second-chance points (22–16) and fastbreak points (16–4). After three ties and three lead changes early, the Owls pulled away for a game-high 32-point lead late in the second half.

Citrus placed five starters in double figures and finished with balanced scoring throughout the lineup. Leo Ricketts led all scorers with 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting, connecting on four three-pointers while adding four rebounds, three steals and two assists. Dev Hamilton followed with 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting. JJ Sanchez added 13 points and was perfect from beyond the arc, hitting all three of his three-point attempts. Rockwell Reynolds turned in a strong all-around effort with 14 points, a game-high nine rebounds and two blocks, while Amiri Meadows chipped in eight points and a team-high seven assists.

Off the bench, Alek Sanchez provided a spark with nine points and six assists, Grayson Boustead added nine points, and Dylan Victorio contributed six points, five rebounds and three assists. Citrus finished with 25 assists and forced 27 turnovers in the complete team effort.

Bakersfield College drops to 10-9 overall and 2-3 in conference play.

Citrus returns to action on the road this Saturday against West Los Angeles College, with tipoff scheduled for 3 p.m.