The Irvine Valley men's basketball team continued its solid start to the 2022-23 season.
The Lasers fell to Cerritos in the championship game of the Fast Action Basketball Irvine Valley Classic on Friday night in Hart Gymnasium.
After defeating Canyons on Thursday to make the final, the Lasers (2-1) hung with one of the top teams in the state for most of the contest.
Cerritos, ranked No. 5 in the California Community College Men's Basketball Coaches Association preseason state poll, pulled away for a 69-53 victory.
Irvine Valley sophomore post Charlie Henderson and freshman forward Ethan McCanless were each named to the all-conference team.
Henderson finished with 17 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks and two steals to pace the Lasers. Freshman wing Marcus Carter added 15 points and freshman guard Luke Farrington had eight points and three rebounds for IVC.
Cerritos was paced by Jalen Shores with 16 points. He went 3 for 3 from three-point range and also made all five of his free throws. Shores added three steals.
Justin Stephens also had 16 points and went 6 from 8 from the field and 4 of 5 on his three-pointers. Cameron McCoy (11 points and eight rebounds) and Everett May (10 points) were also in double-figure scoring for the Falcons, who improved their record to 3-0 overall.
Irvine Valley was within 51-48 with 5:31 left in the game after two free throws by Carter.
But Cerritos caught fire from the perimeter the rest of the way and got stops on the other end.
Stephens, Shores, Stephens and then Stephens again made three-pointers to push the Cerritos lead to 65-50 with 2:02 remaining in the contest.
IVC is back in action next Wednesday at 6 p.m. on the road at San Diego Miramar.
