COD Men’s Basketball struggles in match-up with #4 Wolverines, 104-62

COD (1-15; 0-3) had their hands full with the number four team in the state, as they were down 52-25 at the break and fell to the San Bernardino Valley Wolverines (19-4; 3-0), 104-62.

Desert played a tough first 10 minutes of the first half, as the Wolverines tried to gain some early distance, but the Roadrunners remained close. After building a five point lead early on, Desert would close the gap to one on a layup by sophomore starting guard Philippe Salawa (Fontana AB Miller), to make the score 14-13, with 12:57 left in the first half. Unfortunately, that would be the closest the Roadrunners would get on the night as San Bernardino Valley went on 30-2 run over the next six and a half minutes. Both teams would head to the locker room at the break with the Wolverines holding a 27 point lead, 52-25.

Desert kept up with San Bernardino Valley for nearly the first three minutes of the second half, but the Wolverines would go on a 13-0 run over a span of three minutes and fifteen seconds and giving the visitors a 39 point lead, 73-34, with 12:56 left in the game.

Freshman starting guard Andre Allen (Chino Don Lugo) led the team with 20 points on 4 of 12 shooting from the field, going 10 of 11 from the free throw line and freshman starting forward Arion Stevenson (Moreno Valley Canyon Springs) added 18 points, going 5 of 15 from the field and 8 of 10 from the charity stripe. Stevenson also led the team in total rebounds with seven, steals with three and joined teammate Salawa in leading the team in assists with five.

Salawa scored ten points on 3 of 16 shooting and led the team in blocks with two and freshman forward Joseph Fowler (Rohnert Park Rancho Cotate) came off the bench to lead all bench scorers with seven points on 1 of 3 shooting from three-point range and a perfect 4 for 4 from the free throw line on the night.

Next home game for College of the Desert Men's Basketball will be February 7th at 5p, where they will continue Pacific Coast Athletic Conference-North Division (PCAC-North) against the San Diego Miramar Jets. If you are unable to make the game in person, follow the action live at CODathletics.com. Hope to see you there.

Photo by Rodrigo Pena (rigopena@yahoo.com)
Information, Photos & Story provided by COD Sports Information.