The San Diego City College men’s basketball team lost to Yuba College, 90-83, in the Elite Eight of the California Community College Athletic Association state championship at Mt. San Antonio College on Friday.
The loss ends the season for the Knights (26-5), who were a victory short of the state championship game and two from a title they had been seeking since last winning it in 2017.
After a strong start headed by City guard Al Green, whose 13 points included making 3-for-3 from beyond the three-point line, the Knights found themselves up 26-13 with 11:39 remaining in the first half.
But the 49ers (29-2), who entered as Northern California’s No. 3 seed, fought back on strong post play.
The 49ers pulled within five by the half, out-rebounding the Knights, 19-11, and winning the points battle in the paint, 22-12.
The surge was led by Yuba guard Devon Malcolm, who scored 15 points in the first half and led the 49ers with 27.
“Malcolm is a force to be reckoned with,” Knights Coach Mitch Charlens said before the game. “He’s super athletic, really aggressive and can do it all.”
In the second half, the 49ers grabbed the lead quickly by starting with a 6-0 run. Fouls became a major factor in the game through the second half, with the Knights having three players with four fouls and the 49ers having two with 4:38 remaining.
Knights forward Alex Crawford kept his team in the game even with four fouls. The 6-foot-8 forward scored on three straight possessions late in the game on his way to 21 points.
But because of guard Demarreya Lewis-Cooper’s heroics, the 49ers were able to close out the game. Lewis-Cooper scored 10 points in the final two minutes of play, including a three-pointer and a three-point play on back-to-back possessions.
The Knights’ strong season ends after multiple regular season awards, including Pacific Coast Athletic Conference Coach and Player of the Year for Charlens and guard KJ Bradley, respectively, as well as a PCAC championship.
