The El Camino College men’s basketball team is off to a 3-0 start after a 102-96 victory over Santa Barbara City College last Friday.

Here are five takeaways from the Warriors fast start:

1) The Warriors lead the South Coast Conference-South, averaging 97.7 points per game through three games while shooting 48.2 percent from the field.

“I’m proud of the guys for getting off to a 3-0 (record) start this year and taking pride in defending our home court,” EC coach Robert Uphoff said.

2) EC has only two returners from last season. The newcomers have added much depth and versatility.

Freshman guard Jamal Heckard is averaging 19.3 points per game while shooting 53.8 percent from three-point range.

Sophomore guard Martyre Demarco is averaging 10.3 points per game off the bench while shooting 54.5 percent from the field.

“I have been genuinely impressed with the number of guys who’ve stepped up at various times throughout our first three games,” Uphoff said.

3) With many scoring options, the Warriors have players who can score from anywhere on the floor.

Against Southwestern College, EC had five players score in double digits. Freshman small forward Che Madrid finished with 13 points while sophomore forward Keywhon Powns added 10 points off the bench.

4) EC has the luxury of playing its first six games at home, including the El Camino tournament, which begins Thursday, Nov. 17 in the North Gym.

“With our first six games being at home, we want to capitalize on that and start the season strong,” Madrid said. “We want to continue to get better as the season goes on.”

5) While the Warriors have won three straight to start the season, there’s room for improvement.

EC shot a dreadful 52.8 percent from the free-throw line against Santa Barbara and were out rebounded, 40-26.

“We need to play better on the defensive end of the floor,” Uphoff said. “Our free throw shooting must also improve if we hope to compete with the elite teams on our schedule.”

Heckard scored a season-high 25 points in the win over Santa Barbara. He was 10-for-15 shooting from the field.