Top-Ranked Cerritos Falcons Set for Rematch Against Long Beach Vikings

LONG BEACH, Calif. (Interstat) — A stark contrast in fortunes will be on display Friday night when the state-leading Cerritos Falcons visit the struggling Long Beach Vikings in a California Community College Athletic Association men’s basketball matchup.

The Falcons (22-4), ranked in the state, enter the game riding a seven-game winning streak and have dominated conference play. Their most recent outing was an 85-61 rout of Los Angeles Harbor on Feb. 13.

Conversely, the Vikings (4-21) have lost eight consecutive games and 14 of their last 15. They are coming off an 86-76 home loss to Compton on Feb. 13.

Cerritos defeated Long Beach 90-81 just over two weeks ago on Feb. 4. In that game, Falcons sophomore forward Dorian Tate scored 23 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished four assists in just 25 minutes.

Tate has been a force during Cerritos’ win streak, averaging a double-double. He is coming off a 27-point, 10-rebound performance in a 100-58 victory over Compton on Feb. 11. Over his last five games, Tate is averaging 21.8 points and 9.6 rebounds.

The Falcons’ only conference loss came on Jan. 21 at Los Angeles Southwest. Since then, their average margin of victory is 22.1 points.

Long Beach has struggled defensively, allowing an average of 78.2 points per game during its losing skid. Their last win was a 71-69 victory over Los Angeles Harbor on Jan. 7.

Despite the lopsided records, Interstat’s game simulator projects a highly competitive contest, forecasting a 100-100 final score.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST at the Vikings’ home court.