San Antonio College men’s basketball team fell short of bringing home a repeat championship in the Texas Collegiate Athletic Conference Sunday, losing to the top-ranked Palo Alto College Palominos 85-78 at Northeast Lakeview College’s Llano Wellness Center.
The second-ranked Armadillos played strong early on, closing the first half with a four point lead at 38-34, but the Palominos seemed to find an extra gear in the second half, outpacing the Armadillos with a high-tempo, run-and-gun style of play.
“We were moving the ball, playing defense, getting rebounds,” SAC Guard Demetrice Mims said about the first half. “We just got out of what we were doing in the second half. We started turning over the ball, letting them get offensive rebounds and putbacks. We weren’t moving the ball as much. We were settling.”
Palo Alto’s second-half performance proved to be the difference, as they pulled away and maintained control in the final minutes.
SAC Center Markus Salinas missed the game due to an ankle injury, and SAC Head Coach Jimmy Alcala said Salinas, who averages a double-double in points and rebounds, was a significant absence.
The game was closely contested throughout, featuring high energy and physical play from both teams.
Palo Alto’s victory broke a 17-year drought for the school’s men’s basketball program, which hadn’t won a TCAC Championship since 2008.
“[Palo Alto] is really good this year,” Mims said. “It’s a big difference from the year before. They’ve completely changed their culture and team overall. They play really hard, and that’s what really got us today. They’ve got a lot of energy, and they just beat us.”
Read Next: Heartbreak at the Buzzer: SAC Falls Two Points Short of Three-Peat
