Glendora, CA -The Citrus College Fighting Owls shot 69% on Saturday night and the offensive onslaught led to a 98-87 victory over Palomar College. Tron Smith flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 29 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as he shot 10-for-14 from the field.
The Owls were paced in the first half by reserve guard Jeremy Black. Black came into the game early in the first half as Smith was called for a second foul. The sophomore then proceeded to score 13 points in the frame, shooting a perfect 5-for-5, including a trio of three-pointers. He would finish with 15 points.
The Comets made things interesting in the second half. After trailing by 18 at the intermission, 51-33, Palomar closed within ten in the second frame as they shot 62%. The Owls were able to hold them off, however, as they shot 68% in the half to hang on for the eleven-point victory.
Citrus (10-6) also had a strong night from Daniel Fleming, shooting 7-for-8 for 18 points, along with seven rebounds. Chad Allan added eleven points and Phil Friesen scored nine, fueled by the efforts of Black, the Citrus bench scored 25 points. The Fighting Owls out-rebounded their counterparts, 38-29.
Palomar (1-8) was led by a 28-point night from Ross Edwards, who scored 19 in the second half and shot 10-for-16 in the game. Will Ceasar and Manny Alcala added twelve points apiece.
The Fighting Owls will be back in action after Christmas as they travel to play in the East LA Holiday classic.