SMCC Men's Basketball Picks Up Crucial Win over Scottsdale CC

The South Mountain Community College men's basketball team (19-4, 8-3 ACCAC Division II) defeated Scottsdale CC 85-75 in an ACCAC Division II contest on Saturday, Jan. 31, at the SMCC Gym. Sophomore Blake Carabio led SMCC with 24 points and tied a season high with seven 3-pointers, while sophomore Parker Escalante and freshman I'yar Shadowvine poured in 16 apiece as the Cougars recorded an important league victory over the Fighting Artichokes.

 

Leading by six at halftime, SCC stayed within closing distance for most of the second half and cut the deficit to as little as one before SMCC was able to put the game away for good. The Cougars shot 52 percent (13 of 25) in the second half, including a 50-percent clip (5 of 10) from 3-point range.

 

For the game, SMCC finished at 50.8 percent (30 of 59) overall and 40 percent (10 of 25) from downtown. The Cougars totaled 32 rebounds, 15 assists, and seven steals in the win. South Mountain CC held a 34-24 advantage in points in the paint, posted 14 second-chance points on 10 offensive rebounds, and scored 16 points off 13 SCC turnovers. 

 

"This was a big one for us in the conference standings because that tiebreaker can become very important in seeding," said SMCC head coach Cory Hoff. "There was a lot to like offensively. I thought our guards were efficient, which made the offense easier. It was great to see Blake shoot it well from the perimeter. We believe he's one of the best in the country. Defensively, we took a step back. We've come out flat on defense in the last two games, and we have to get that figured out. There's no reason we should be giving up 75 points to anyone. We will get to work on that this week. We have two important games for the conference race, starting with a home contest on Wednesday. We hope to see a good crowd in the bleachers to support our guys."

 

Carabio was 8 of 14 overall and 7 of 12 from 3-point range in 29 minutes. He added two rebounds and an assist. Carabio leads all ACCAC players, regardless of division, with 70 3-pointers on the season as of Feb. 1, 2026.

 

Shadowvine was 6 of 12 from the floor and added four rebounds, three assists, and a steal in 33 minutes. Escalante came off the bench to finish 6 of 11 from the field with three rebounds, one steal, and one assist in 30 minutes.

 

Freshman Devone Pless was the fourth Cougar to score in double-figures, posting 10 points in 23 minutes off the bench. He added three rebounds, two steals, and one assist.

 

Freshman Semajay James led SMCC with nine rebounds and four assists in 19 minutes off the bench. He added seven points and a steal, and freshman Travis Vasquez produced five points, two rebounds, and two assists.