COD Men’s Basketball Escapes on 8-3s by Cooper, Edges Griffins 102–100

The College of the Desert Roadrunners (3–6) delivered a thrilling home victory on Wednesday night, outlasting the Grossmont Griffins of El Cajon (1–4) in a 102–100 shootout. After trailing 39–36 at halftime, both teams erupted offensively in the second half, but no one caught fire quite like COD freshman guard Chris Cooper-Patton.

Cooper-Patton poured in 32 of his 34 points after the break, finishing 10-for-17 from the field and a blistering 8-for-12 from three-point range. His eight made threes mark the most by any Roadrunner in a single game during the program's modern era (2012–13 to present), cementing one of the most memorable shooting performances in recent COD history.

The victory marks COD's fourth straight win over Grossmont and the first meeting between the programs since November 1, 2019, a pre-pandemic matchup also played in Palm Desert.

Sophomore guard De'miem King (Palm Springs H.S.) turned in one of his strongest outings of the season, recording a season-high four blocks and adding 22 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.

Freshman guard Payton Joseph (Beaumont H.S.) posted his second double-double of the season, dominating the glass with a team season-high 17 rebounds (nine defensive) and contributing 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting. PJ also knocked down 6 of 8 free throws in the win.

Freshman starter Jayse Creavalle (Palm Springs H.S.) orchestrated the offense with precision, dishing out a team season-high 11 assists, collecting four steals, and adding eight points. Off the bench, freshman guard Lee'Tron Turner (Indio H.S.) provided a strong spark, tallying 13 points and going 7-of-9 from the free-throw line.

The Roadrunners return to action Saturday, December 6 at 1 p.m., hosting the College of the Canyons Cougars (3–4) in Palm Desert. The matchup marks the first meeting between the two programs since December 21, 2018.

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For additional information, please contact the COD Sports Information Office at 760.423.6641.

Information & Story provided by COD Sports Information. Photo by Dale Beck Photography.