The City College men’s basketball team was routed 81-46 by Cerro Coso College in its first home game of the season on Saturday night.

The loss brings the team to 0-3 for the season, losing by an average of more than 29 points per game.

27 of the visitors’ 81 points came off of 26 Vaquero turnovers in a mistake-filled game.

“There were so many turnovers that it is hard to know what we have,” said Head Coach Morris Hodges.

The errors led to the opposition attempting 12 more shots than the home team, on top of them making shots at a much higher rate. 

“We have to be more efficient with the basketball,” Hodges said.

He explained that the team is very young, with only two sophomores on the roster. Against a much more experienced Cerro Coso team, that was a serious disadvantage. 

“[The players] need time to adjust to the speed and athleticism at this level,” Hodges said.

One bright spot was the play of freshman guard Daniel Arzate, playing his first game in Santa Barbara since he was at Dos Pueblos High School. He totaled a team-high 11 points and added three steals, two rebounds, and an assist. Arzate made all four of the shots he attempted, including three three-pointers.

Hodges complimented his effort after the game, pointing to a particular play where he dove for a loose ball before sprinting to contest a shot.

Sophomore Kile Kleiner only hit one of his six shots, but he made an impact in other facets of the game. He led the team with six rebounds and added two steals, an assist, and an impressive block.

“We’ve gotta play more defense,” Arzate said after the game.

He emphasized turnovers as a place to improve along with defense, but he said he was impressed by the team’s effort.

“Everyone that got in the game hustled,” Arzate said.

City College was competitive early in the game, holding a lead for a chunk of the first half, but when a flurry of turnovers allowed the visitors to go on a 20-5 run, the game quickly got out of hand.

The Vaqueros had a big deficit to overcome by halftime, and the score did not get any closer in the second half.

Cerro Coso was led by an impressive performance from Haven Ousley, who made nine of his 16 shots, including five threes, for a total of 23 points.

City College will be back in action on Friday in the Home Motors Tournament at Allan Hancock College.