Free-Throw Woes Doom Owls Against San Diego

Glendora, CA -- The Citrus College Men's Basketball team closed out their 2014 home hosted tournament in disappointing fashion on Sunday. The Owls struggled from the charity stripe, converting just 57.1% of their free-throw attempts, in a 64-66 loss to San Diego City College.

San Diego stormed out of the gate in Sunday's contest, opening up the game on a 10-0 run. After the initial onslaught by the Knights, the Owls settled in and used a 16-3 run capped off by a lay-in from freshman Jordan McNellys to take a 16-13 lead. San Diego would regain the lead with 8:58 left in the first half, but a three-point play by freshman Ryan Wiley gave the Owls a 23-22 advantage, a lead they wouldn't surrender for the rest of the first half.

In the second half, the Knights once again opened strong, retaking the lead less than three minutes in. From there it was a see-saw contest. Citrus took the lead back two minutes later on a three-point play by sophomore John Roach, but the Knights took it back for themselves with just over nine minutes to go. The Owls would briefly regain the lead on a small 6-0 run that saw Citrus get baskets from Wiley, freshman Mark Williams, and sophomore Justin Childress to make it 58-56 with 4:33 left in the game. It didn't last long though as San Diego went back on top with 2:57 left.

Once again the Owls got a push and then a big triple by Childress to make it 63-62 with 1:26 to go, but San Diego answered with a three ball of their own to go back up by two. Sophomore Jordan Jefferson would hit the back end of two free-throws to pull to within one with 14 seconds left, forcing the Owls to foul on the ensuing in bound. The Knights also hit the back end of two, giving Citrus the ball back with 12 seconds left and trailing 66-64. The Owls ran a good play down the floor finding a wide open Jefferson in the corner for a game winning three, but Jefferson's shot rimmed in and out, sending the Owls to a 2-4 record.

In the loss, Citrus was led by Childress' game high 18 points. Childress also had a team high five assists, while Williams and sophomore Chaunce Hill tied for the team lead with six boards a piece.

The Owls will take a break from action this week, before opening up the Annual Riverside City College Holiday Tournament a week from Wednesday against the defending CCCAA State Champions Santa Rosa Junior College. Tip-off is set for 5:00 PM in Riverside.