Comets defeat Olympians 81-71 at home

SAN MARCOS, CA (1/17/2024) -- The Palomar College Men's Basketball team defeated San Diego Mesa College 81-71 Wednesday night in the Dome.

The Comets and Olympians traded baskets for the majority of the first half as the Comets struggled to get a defensive stop. With five minutes to go in the first, the Comets were down five and went on a 15-6 run to take the lead right at the buzzer. Once they gained the lead, they never lost it, outscoring the Olympians 44-37 in the second half. 

Sophomore guard Spivey Word led the Comets with 24 points, finishing 4-5 beyond the arc. Word hit the go-ahead 3-pointer right before half. He finished with five rebounds and four assists. Freshman Thomas Marcus finished the night with a double-double. His stat line read 22 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and three steals. Sophomore forward Kryztian Walton finished with 16 points and six rebounds. Freshman guard Jason Ezeadiugwu rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 of his own, along with seven rebounds and three steals. 

Palomar won every battle on the court. They outrebounded the Olympians 44-42, caused 10 turnovers while committing nine and shot 57.9% at the free-throw line. 

The Comets move to 7-11 on the season and 2-4 in conference play. They will travel to No. 3 San Diego City College on Friday night for a 6 p.m. tip-off.