Hawks win pair, cancel SDSU game

ECS staff report

SAN DIEGO —- The timing couldn’t be more wrong for the San Diego Christian College men’s basketball. After snapping a season-long, nine-game losing streak with a pair of victories in three games, the Hawks’ semi-annual scrimmage with San Diego State University has been canceled.

According to SDSU media relations, “due to COVID-related issues within the San Diego Christian College men’s basketball program, the Dec. 28 game between the Aztecs and Hawks has been canceled. There is no plan to reschedule the contest.”

On the positive side, San Diego Christian has time to heal with the Christmas break, returning to the court for a pair of contests to conclude December heading into January’s Golden State Athletic Conference slate.

Playing on consecutive days, the Hawks will host Westcliff University of Irvine on Dec. 30 for a 5 p.m. start from the Salvation Army Center gymnasium in El Cajon. Then on New Year’s Eve, SDCC will play a neutral site contest with Benedictine University at Mesa (Ariz.) in an early 2 p.m. start at The Master’s University in Santa Clara.

The Hawks’ recent run of success started on Dec. 9, knocking off Saint Katherine University of San Marcos, 66-63.  SDCC then fell in a GSAC contest to Vanguard University, 75-48, yet bounced back to secure another four-point victory, edging Doane University (Neb.), 64-61.

In defeating Saint Katherine, SDCC avenged a 5-game skid to the Firebirds, winning for the first time in six starts since the inception of SKU basketball in November 2018.

After trailing most of the game, the tenacious Hawks rallied late to claim victory over their cross-town rivals. The Hawks bench came through in the final minutes.

With just over 3 minutes remaining, SDCC’s Josh O’Campo provided a huge spark off the bench nailing a jumper to tie things up and then following it up with a three-pointer to claim the lead. USK converted a pair of foul shots to pull within a point, but, O’Campo would crush the Firebird spirit with yet another three.

O’Campo, a sophomore guard out of Temecula Valley HS, finished with eight points. Meanwhile, senior guard JaMario Harris (Chesapeake, Va.) led the Hawks with 22 points and four assists.

One week later, another second-half comeback saw the Hawks put Doane asleep. The Tigers are members of the NAIA Great Plains Athletic Conference.

• Trailing by seven points at the half, Josh O’Campo would get San Diego Christian’s comeback with his scoring, while O’Campo triggered the defense by forcing turnovers. Voyles would finish as the game’s leading scorer with 19 of his 22 points coming in the second half.
  
• Down 34-27 at the break, the Hawks surged to a 28-11 stretch to mount a 10-point lead with 7:58 to play. A 38-29 deficit with erased with a 13-2 run to take the lead capped by a Voyles three-pointer, then posted eight additional points before the Tigers could counter.
  
• San Diego Christian’s (2-11 overall, 0-4 GSAC)  final two games of the calendar year are part of the GSAC/CalPac Shootout.