Editor’s note: City Times Media’s Vince Outlaw and Danny Straus will be adding play-by-play and color commentary to all remaining men’s home games during the 2024-25 season. To watch the video, click here. Audio feed and transcript coming soon!
Standing 6-foot-8, San Diego City College forward Marley Gonzalez was anticipating a special game on Saturday when he saw his tallest opponent was 6-foot-3.
“We all knew it was going to be a big game for us,” Gonzalez said during a post-game interview.
The Knights took advantage of their overwhelming size difference and used defensive intensity to defeat Imperial Valley College by 90 points, winning 119-29 on Jan. 4 at Harry West Gymnasium.
The margin of victory was the largest in team history, according to the Knights’ social media.
The win pushes the Knights’ Pacific Coast Athletic Conference record to 3-0 with an overall record of 11-4. Imperial Valley moved to 3-11 on the year and a 1-2 conference record.
City is currently ranked No. 12 in the state, according to the Dec. 20 California Community College Men’s Basketball Coaches Association poll.
Gonzalez used his 6-8 height to his advantage, pulling down 12 of a team-total 57 rebounds, compared to 13 total rebounds for the Warriors. He added 22 points for his first double-double as a Knight.
“I had a blast,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve got great guards playing around me. Right team, right setting.”
The Knights’ leading scorers and rebounders came off their bench as sophomore guard Cameron Marshall poured in 27 points and freshman forward Micah Brickner grabbed 15 rebounds.
City had seven players score in double digits, led by Marshall. It was Marshall’s second game in a row scoring over 20 points.
Knights guard Brandon Bento-Jackson dished out a team-leading nine assists of a team-total 29.
The celebratory nature of the historic blowout win was tempered by an injury to Knights freshman guard Jason Chambers that occurred at about the 10:50 mark in the second half.
Chambers, defending as his man drove downcourt, tangled with teammate Dillon Cubit and went down, immediately grabbing his right knee.
Paramedics were called and Chambers was eventually taken off the court on a stretcher while accepting and acknowledging the best wishes of his teammates.
Head coach Mitch Charlens, in a Sunday morning text exchange with City Times Media, provided a diagnosis: “Dislocated kneecap. They put it back in place and (it) should be just a couple weeks before he can play again.”
The Knights continue conference play on Wednesday, Jan. 8 at Cuyamaca College. They play their next home game Jan. 10 against San Diego Miramar before playing at MiraCosta on Wednesday, Jan. 15.
