Barstow, CA –
On Wednesday evening, the men's basketball team at Barstow Community College (BCC) defeated their high desert rivals at Victor Valley College to earn the right to play for a share of the Western States East Conference title. Dr. Deborah DiThomas, BCC’s Superintendent/President, was clearly excited about the Vikings’ chance at a league championship title. She announced the BCC victory at the Board of Trustees meeting the same night, and invited the entire community to attend the upcoming game on Saturday. The Barstow Vikings will be playing the Citrus College Owls on February 18th at 3:00 PM in the James R. Parks Gymnasium on the BCC campus. Admission to the Vikings vs Owls Men’s Basketball game is FREE!
Citrus already clinched their share of the title when they defeated Antelope Valley in Glendora on Wednesday night. A win for BCC against Citrus this Saturday will mark the first league title for Barstow Community College in 37 years and the first title ever in the open era. BCC Men’s Basketball Coach, Gerry Wright, explained, “The last time the BCC Vikings earned such an honor the state was divided into big schools (division 1) and small schools (division 2). Barstow won the small schools title.” Coach Wright continued, “I honestly don't know when the school had their last playoff appearance. I believe there have only been three BCC playoff appearances in the last 40 years and only one in the open era.” A BCC win on Saturday would definitely secure a playoff spot for the Vikings.
Local talent on the BCC team includes Barstow’s sophomore point guard, Elijah Woods, who is from Barstow, and BCC’s freshman point guard, Greg Dishman, who is a graduate of Redlands East Valley high school. Coach Wright pointed out that BCC has a diverse team with key players from Barstow, the Inland Empire, and other locations across the U.S.A., as well as international athletes from Australia, Germany, New Zealand, and Spain. To see a complete roster of the BCC men’s basketball team, and their season stats go to:www.barstowvikings.com
Coach Wright is a native of San Bernardino County. In fact, he graduated from San Gorgonio high school and was the first high school basketball All American from the San Bernardino City Unified School District. BCC is a new member of the Western States Conference, with teams in basketball and baseball. For more information about the college and its programs please visit the BCC website: www.barstow.edu
