COD (4-18; 1-5) played a very strong first half, taking a six point lead midway through the first half, but struggled to put together an equal effort in the second half, falling to the Oceanside MiraCosta Spartans (12-13; 2-4), 108-83.

The Spartans would open the game on a 13-0 run and then Desert got to work whittling that lead down, eventually tying the game at 22-22 with 9:45 remaining in the first half. Moments later, the Roadrunners used an 8-2 run to capture their biggest lead of the game, 30-24 with 8:33 left in the first half. Unfortunately, the game would be tied for the final time at 40-40 with 2:11 left in the first half, at which time the Spartans started to pull away. Both teams would go into halftime with the Spartans clinging onto a 51-44 lead. 

Four of five starters for the Roadrunners would score in double figures as freshman starting guard Shaquille Russell (Reseda Cleveland) scored 10 of his team leading 22 points in the first half, shooting 6 of 12 from the field for the game and was 9 of 12 from the free throw line. 

Freshman starting guard Philippe Salawa (Fontana Azariel Blanchard Miller) nailed his third straight 21 point game of the season, hitting 13 of his 21 points in the first half, going 7 for 14 for the game and went 7 of 10 from the charity stripe, leading the team in steals with three.

Sophomore starting guard Kenny Lewis (Riverside Ramona) and sophomore starting forward Dajuan Fulgham (Montevallo, AL) added 14 points each and "Slim" Fulgham collected his fifth double-double of the season, knocking away all three blocks in the first half, adding to his top-five in the state position with 49 total blocks on the year. Lewis went 4 of 6 from the field and was perfect from three-point range (2-2) and from the free throw line (4-4), leading the team in assists with seven. 

Photo by Britney Vargas (COD Sports Information)
Information, Photos & Story provided by COD Sports Information.