Playing with just six players on Friday night, the Rio Hondo College men's basketball team couldn't keep up with a loaded Los Angeles Pierce squad and suffered a 77-70 non-conference loss in Whittier.

Rio Hondo held a 39-34 lead at halftime but the lack of depth hurt the Roadrunners in the second. LA Pierce scored the final seven points of the contest to pull out the win.

The few players that were on the court for the Roadrunners did all they could to keep them in the game. Uziel Felix and Jonathan Martinez both scored 22 points each to lead Rio Hondo.

Elijah McElroy scored 14 points and added 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals while Bryant Howing chipped in with 12 points.

Rio Hondo, now 3-10 overall, will take some time off for the winter break and returns to action on Jan. 4 when the Roadrunners face Compton College in a 6 p.m. South Coast Conference interdivision game.