Knights Stay Undefeated in PCAC at Midway Point

With only seven players available on Friday night, San Diego City gutted out a 94-86 home victory over Palomar to stay undefeated (8-0) at the midway point of PCAC play.

Sophomore Junior Camacho played all but one minute and led the team with 27 points and seven rebounds, while freshman Dylan Griffin added 23 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists.

The Knights (15-5, 8-0 PCAC), who were missing starters Luke Hecht and Cyprian Hyde, and reserve Larry Lewis III due to injuries suffered this past week, were coming off a 99-89 road win at Southwestern where they held the state's leading scorer Derek Edmond (24.9 ppg) to just eight points on 1-of-8 shooting.

They needed another stellar defensive performance against the Palomar Comets (14-6, 6-2 PCAC), who were looking to tie the Knights atop the conference standings, and they pulled it off as the Knights held the Comets to 39.4% shooting.

San Diego City did have trouble scoring early in the first half, but turned a 2-point deficit into 11-point lead after a 13-0 run in a 4-minute span midway through the half.

City's lead grew to 14, but Palomar closed the gap to eight by halftime. 

The Comets, with the help of Jaidyn Norman's team-high 25 points, kept the game close in the second half and eventually got within three on Norman's layup with 5:34 remaining. The Knights, however, answered back with a jumper from Pharaoh Amadi, a 3-pointer from Camacho, and a pair of free throws by Matin Madadkar to push their lead back up to 10.

Palomar did make one last run to get within five with 3:03 left, but City's Micah Brickner scored back-to-back buckets at the rim to put the game out of reach.

The Knights, who also defeated Palomar 75-68 in the Grossmont tournament championship game on December 7, have now won eight straight over the Comets with one meeting left at the end of the PCAC season. 

City's next game will be at Grossmont on Monday at 7 p.m.