Men's basketball team earns two more solid wins this week

Men's basketball team earns two more solid wins this week

Irvine Valley's men's basketball team won its third and fourth games in a row to start the 2023-24 season this week.

The Lasers remained one of the eight undefeated teams in the state with a record of 4-0.

IVC defeated Miramar at home, 48-42, on Wednesday night and then went on the road Friday to another San Diego area college, MiraCosta, and earned a thrilling, 58-57, win.

Irvine Valley's game with Miramar was low-scoring, back and forth and a defensive battle the whole way.

The Lasers were led by sophomore guard Luke Farrington with 13 points. 

Sophomore forward Jesse Stines added 11 points and freshman forward Ethan Tauber and freshman guard Josiah Reed each contributed six points in the win.

Irvine Valley then won on an end of the game shot at MiraCosta Friday.

Farrington took a pass from sophomore wing Marcus Carter and drilled a game-winning three-pointer from the left quarter with 5.0 seconds left to lift IVC to a 58-57 victory.

Stines had a huge night for IVC with 22 points, 21 rebounds and four blocks.

Freshman guard Matt Lee added 12 key points off of the bench for the Lasers.

Tauber finished with eight points and eight rebounds and Farrington scored all of his nine points in the second half on three-pointers.

"It was an exciting win," Irvine Valley coach Jerry Hernandez said. "And such a big shot by Luke. Marcus was so excited after the play.

"But I couldn't thank assistant coach Kelly Hambrick enough. He had us locked in all of the time in both games this week, especially on the defensive end. I can't thank him enough."