COACH WEBSTER REACHES 263 CAREER WINS ON BIG PLAYOFF NIGHT

It was a historic night for the Hornet men's basketball program as the No. 1 South Hornets dismantled No. 16 Palomar 85-52 in postseason play, while head coach Perry Webster secured his 263rd career victory breaking the program's all-time wins record.

In his 10th season at the helm, Webster has now guided the Hornets to the third round of the playoffs for the fifth straight year becoming the winningest coach in program history dating back to 1916. With the milestone victory, Webster surpassed legendary FC Hall of Fame coach Alex Olmalev, who finished his career with 262 wins over 11 seasons.

The opening half was tightly contested as the Comets and Hornets traded baskets throughout the first 15 minutes. Palomar briefly took a 24-21 lead with five minutes remaining, but Fullerton quickly responded with a layup by Jaedyn Patterson and a free throw from Yoda Oke to knot the score. With the game tied at 24-24, Jaqari Miles drilled a teardrop three-pointer to spark a decisive run. The Hornets closed the half on a dominant 35-24 surge heading into the break.

Fullerton took complete command in the second half turning up the defensive pressure and wearing down the Comets. Palomar struggled to find clean looks shooting just 28.9% from the floor, while the Hornets caught fire offensively knocking down 47.5% of their shots. Fullerton's physical presence on the glass was equally overwhelming, out-rebounding Palomar 58-37 and consistently creating second-chance opportunities. The Hornets pushed their lead to as many as 36 points highlighted by a 77-41 advantage with just under seven minutes remaining, as they cruised to the lopsided playoff victory.

The Hornets had a balanced offensive attack with five players scoring in double figures. Brayden Smith led the way with 14 points and 7 rebounds, while Miles added 13 points and 8 boards. Yoda Oke finished with 12 points and 8 rebounds, and Donovan Pitts matched him with 12 points of his own along with four rebounds. Bishop Brooks chipped in 9 points and 8 rebounds, while MJ Smith rounded out the scoring with eight points.

Up Next: The No. 1 Hornets (28-1 overall) will host Round Three of the 3C2A SoCal Regionals on Saturday, March 7^th when No. 8 West LA College visits the Nest. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 pm. The winner will advance to the 3C2A State Tournament in Visalia, hosted by College of the Sequoias.

*Photo by Jim McCormack