Hawks Fly High over Comets with 88-74 Victory

SCC made another trip to the San Diego area on Friday night to play Palomar College. The Hawks notched another victory over a San Diego team with a 88-74 win after defeating Mira Costa earlier this season. With the win, Santiago Canyon College improves to 7-4 on the season. In the latest Massey Ratings, the Hawks are ranked 13th in the state. The Hawks are off for a week before starting conference play the week of December 18. 

Santiago Canyon started slow in this contest. Turnovers and missed shots were the leading cause of the slow start as Palomar jumped out to an 11-point lead with 4:16 left to play in the half. The Hawks mixed up their defense and improved their efficiency on offense to trim the lead to 3 at halftime with the score 30-33.  The Hawks only had 4 players score in the first half, turned the ball over 12 times, and only made 2 three-pointers. 

The second half was a different story as SCC raced out to a comfortable lead thanks in part to their stifling defense and transition offense. The Hawks built a 24-point lead with 3:05 remaining in the game. Santiago Canyon outscored the Comets 58-41 in the half, while shooting a sizzling 80% mostly on shots within the arc. Leading the way in scoring was Kai Smith with 25 points and Aaron Wadman with 22 points. Smith finished 9 for 13 from the floor, while Wadman was 8 for 12. The Hawks saw 7 other players score as well; Zach Ibbetson (8 points), Joey Longo (8 points), Damien Parker (7 points), Garrett Andre (7 points), Adam Holod (6 points), Isaiah Arthurton (6 points), and Jake Conerty (2 points).

SCC will be back in action on Tuesday, December 20th at home vs. Saddleback as they start Orange Empire Conference play. They will also travel to Riverside to play Riverside City on Thursday, December 22nd. OEC play will be a challenge, as it is every year, and the Hawks are eager to face the top teams in the state. With one of the toughest pre-conference schedules in California, SCC is ready for the rigors of conference play.