PAC Palominos Run Over SAC 89-47 to Seize Conference Lead

J.D. Garza, Multimedia Journalist

March 6, 2026

SAC forward Islen Juarez prepares for a jump shot during Wednesday’s game against Palo Alto College.

San Antonio College’s women’s basketball fell to the Palo Alto College Palominos at home Wednesday in a lopsided 89-47 home loss in which the Armadillos looked outmatched from beginning to end.

The Armadillos were sitting comfortably at 10-1 and the top seed in the conference going into the game against the second-place, 8-1 Palominos, but Palo Alto sent a message with their dominant performance, knocking SAC down a peg and jumping up to the top seed.

SAC head coach Abel Castillo watches as the armadillos fall to the Palo Alto Palomino’s. (Christopher Hernandez)

SAC Point Guard Kaleah Muniz said the loss was humbling and exposed some chinks in the Armadillos’ armor.

“They just played harder,” Muniz said. “We were on a seven-game winning streak, and sometimes you need a team to show you what you’ve been needing to work on.”

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SAC center Daviannah Johnson aggressively penetrates the paint through a Palo Alto Defender. (Christopher Hernandez)

PAC started the first quarter with an 18-2 run and never looked back. The Palominos’ swarming defensive pressure overwhelmed the Armadillos, who struggled to get anything going offensively. Palo Alto dominated on the offensive end as SAC struggled with transition defense and turnovers. At halftime, SAC was down 48-17.

The Palominos kept the Armadillos on their heels the entire game. They spaced the floor well, and SAC was unable to close out to their shooters. SAC had no defensive answers for PAC Guard Esther Balado, who scored 21 points, including five three-pointers.

SAC point guard Alexis Castillo drives to the basket after maneuvering through a tough Palo Alto defender. (Christopher Hernandez)

SAC Center Daviannah “Nunu” Johnson said the Armadillos will look to bounce back in the playoffs, where they almost surely meet Palo Alto again.

“We’ve got to have that dog in us,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to want it as bad as everybody else wants to beat us. We’ve got to want to just be mad.”

SAC point guard Alexis Castillo slips past a Palo Alto Defender to make her way to the basket. (Christopher Hernandez)

The loss was especially tough in that it came on “Senior Night” for the Armadillos — the final home game of the regular season. All but two of the SAC women will be graduating and moving on next season, and veteran players Illena Stewart, Angel Carrisalez, Kaleah Muniz, Alexis Castillo, Nevaeh Sosa, Islen Juarez, and Nunu Johnson received flowers and balloons and were recognized at half court before the game.

“There was a lot of growth on the court and off the court this season,” SAC Head Coach Abel Castillo told the Sundial. “But games like this show us that they still need a lot more growth.”

SAC point guard Kayli “Angel” Carrisalez shoots a free throw during Wednesday’s game at Candler Physical Education Center. (Christopher Hernandez)

SAC has a bye week after Spring Break. Their final game of the regular season is scheduled against UIW March 25.

About the Contributors

J.D. Garza, Multimedia Journalist

JD is a multimedia journalist with the Sundial. He is graduating from SAC in May of 2026 with his Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts. He will begin studying at the University of Texas at San Antonio in the Fall of 2026 and be part of UTSA’s Bachelor of Arts Journalism program.

Christopher Hernandez, Multimedia Journalist

Christopher is a staff multimedia journalist for the Sundial at SAC. He has been a professional photographer since 2017, and he specializes in documentary, sports, and portrait photography, bringing nearly a decade of visual storytelling experience to his reporting.

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