By Britain Kelly
For two schools with over 50 years of history, Saturday was the first ever athletic sporting event between Copper Mountain College and College of the Desert. Some fans who were in attendance were already calling it “The Battle of the Desert.” This newly birthed rivalry was anticipated to be a “good one.” Spectators could tell by the intensity that neither team wanted to be on losing end of the first ever match up. It was “chippy” from the opening tap and both teams competed at a high level for all 40 minutes, and the Fightin’ Cacti came out on top, 83-70.
In the first half, the Fighting Cacti withstood the Roadrunners’ pressure and controlled the game going into halftime with the 14-point lead 44-30.
COD made a push to start the second half, going on a 14-to-7 run in the first four minutes, cutting the deficit to seven. Sophomore shooting guard Schnider Casseus gave the Cacti the lift they needed by playing very good defense and knocked down consecutive three-pointers. Great rebounding by Zack Kroker and a couple late-game steals caused by sophomore Will Valsien sealed the deal for CMC. Copper Mountain won 83-70.
The Fighting Cacti had a complete team effort and every player who stepped on the court contributed. Hyking Brisbon, “Mr. Double Double,” had another impressive game with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Marc Hall attacked the basket like a man on a mission; he also finished with 16 points. Schnider Casseus had 13 points draining four 3-pointers on the night. Dillon Voyles and Tyler Hudson were the other two Cacti in double figures with 12 points each.
With the victory, it’s two in a row for Copper Mountain College. With the win, the Fighting Cacti improve to 8-10 on the year and 2-4 in conference. The men are hoping they can make it three in a row as they take on Cerro Coso College in an away game. Tip-off is at 3 p.m.
