SCC Plays Biola, CCI Takes On Westmont in District 3 Semifinals

Southern California College and Christ College Irvine, two local men’s basketball teams with widely divergent postseason experience, play today in a National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletics District 3 semifinal at Whittier College’s Graham Center.

Southern California College (24-7), which won the District 3 title last year and advanced to the second round of the national tournament, will play top-seeded Biola at 8 p.m. Christ College Irvine (13-17), which before its 60-53 upset of Fresno Pacific in the first round Tuesday had never played in the district playoffs, faces Westmont at 6 p.m.

For first-year CCI Coach Greg Marshall, it will be the third game he has coached against Westmont, his former employer. Jamie McShan, an all-Golden State Athletic Conference guard, averages 14 points for the Eagles, who are seeded seventh. Westmont (19-9) defeated Christ College, 66-63, in Irvine and, 72-46, in Santa Barbara. Westmont is led by all-conference players Noel Matthews, Chad Kammerer and Peter Partain.

SCC’s Jeff Bickmore, who despite a newly sprained ankle had 35 points and 10 rebounds in the Vanguards’ 75-73 victory over The Master’s on Tuesday in the first round, was expected to practice Friday for the first time since he injured the ankle Monday.

Biola is led by Emilio Kovacic, a 6-foot-10 transfer from Arizona State who averages 19 points and nine rebounds. In the teams’ only meeting of the season, Southern California College defeated Biola, 65-63, in December before Kovacic had become eligible.