Comets, Knights trending at tourney
- Updated: November 24, 2018
Marek Sullivan splits Orange Coast defenders as he controls the game. (Hugh Cox Photo)
2018 COMMUNITY COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
EastCountySports.com staff report
SAN MARCOS (11-24-2018) – The longest losing streak in years is over for San Diego City College.
Although the skid only reached four games, the Knights were “finally” able to place one in the win column after downing Santiago Canyon College of Orange, 68-64, in Friday’s (Nov. 23) opening round of the 14th annual Palomar Tournament
City sophomore Joseph Riley led the Knights (4-4) with 19 points, while freshman Kai Huntsberry added seven points, seven rebounds, and six assists off the bench. The streak ends a similar 4-game skid in November 2013.
Freshman Nashom Carter scored all of his 11 points in the first half to help the Knights go ahead by as many as 16 points. The Knights shot 50 percent from the floor while holding Santiago Canyon to 28.6 percent shooting in the first half, but the Knights only held a 37-29 lead as they went into the locker room.
Santiago Canyon started the second half with a 9-2 run in the first three minutes to cut City’s lead to 39-38 and the game remained close.
Canyon took its first lead, 52-51, since the opening minutes of the game on a layup by Paolo Araujo with 7:57 remaining, but the Knights regained the lead on a 3-pointer from Riley at the 6:38 mark.
Araujo, who totaled 16 points and five rebounds, tied it at 57-57 on a 3-pointer with just over five minutes left.
Neither team was able to score over the next 2:23 until Huntsberry hit a jumper to put the Knights ahead once again. After a Santiago Canyon turnover, Riley knocked down his third 3-pointer of the game to give City a 62-57 lead with 2:10 remaining.
Tyler Goodlow, who led Canyon with 18 points, got his team within a point on a jumper with 37 seconds left, but the Knights made all six of their free throws down the stretch and hung on for the win.
The Knights will play Miramar (5-1) in the semifinals of the Palomar tournament on Saturday at 5 p.m. The winner will advance to Sunday’s championship at 5 p.m.
Freshman Nashom Carter scored all of his 11 points in the first half to help the Knights go ahead by as many as 16 points. The Knights shot 50 percent from the floor while holding Santiago Canyon to 28.6 percent shooting in the first half, but the Knights only held a 37-29 lead as they went into the locker room.
Santiago Canyon started the second half with a 9-2 run in the first three minutes to cut City’s lead to 39-38 and the game remained close.
Canyon took its first lead, 52-51, since the opening minutes of the game on a layup by Paolo Araujo with 7:57 remaining, but the Knights regained the lead on a 3-pointer from Riley at the 6:38 mark.
Araujo, who totaled 16 points and five rebounds, tied it at 57-57 on a 3-pointer with just over five minutes left.
Neither team was able to score over the next 2:23 until Huntsberry hit a jumper to put the Knights ahead once again. After a Santiago Canyon turnover, Riley knocked down his third 3-pointer of the game to give City a 62-57 lead with 2:10 remaining.
Tyler Goodlow, who led Canyon with 18 points, got his team within a point on a jumper with 37 seconds left, but the Knights made all six of their free throws down the stretch and hung on for the win.
The Knights will play Miramar (5-1) in the semifinals of the Palomar tournament on Saturday at 5 p.m. The winner will advance to Sunday’s championship at 5 p.m.
Palomar 87, Orange Coast 79: In other Palomar Tournament opening round action, the host Comets took out the Pirates from Costa Mesa.
Marek Sullivan, the former CIF San Diego Section Player of the Year at Torrey Pines High and a transfer from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, took control of the game from start to finish.
Sullivan countered with 12 points (while being double- and triple-teamed and banged around all over the floor, taking only 8 shots), but latching onto 16 rebounds (4 on the offensive board) with 7 assists, a steal and 3 blocks.
The Comets advanced to Saturday’s 7 p.m. championship semifinal game against Southwestern.
The Jaguars defeated Los Angeles Harbor 74-55 earlier in the evening in their semifinal.
In the other half of the bracket, San Diego Miramar downed Saddleback, 81-70. The Jets meet San Diego City in the other championship semifinal Saturday at 5 p.m.
San Diego Miramar 81, Saddleback70: It was a huge win for the Jets in upsetting the Top 5 state-ranked Gauchos from Mission Viejo.
Blake Seits poured in a career-high 34 points, one of three starters to score in double figures. Seits shot 10-for-16 from the floor and 11-of-13 from the foul line as Saddleback found no answers to stop him.
Damien Miller added 15 points for Miramar (5-1), while Artis Chapman added 14.
Southwestern 74, L.A. Harbor 55: The Jaguars made it a rare all-San Diego County round-up to the semifinals after sinking the Seahawks of Wilmington in the wire-to-wire victory.
Marquavian Stephens scored 19 points– his second-best effort of the season — while Nathaniel Pearson added 14 fro, out the bench for the Jaguars 5-2(). Harbor fell to 1-1
