KNIGHTS SPLIT FOUR GAMES TO END DECEMBER

REDDING, Calif. – The Shasta College men's basketball team ended the 2021 calendar year with two wins in four games, capturing a pair of victories in the San Joaquin Delta Tournament before falling at home against Columbia 69-67.

In the Delta Tournament, the Knights lost to Contra Costa 76-64, beat Merced 62-59 and beat Sierra 53-43.

Against Contra Costa, the Knights shot 11 of 25 (44 percent) from 3-point range but turned the ball over 17 times. Derek Gorden turned in a team-best 16 points, Trevahn Foster scored 13 points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked four shots off the bench and Simmer Singh scored 11 points. Samer Khalil had a game-high six assists.

Shasta beat Merced by three and took down Sierra by 10. Josiah Palumbo scored 17 points off the bench for the Knights while Gorden scored 11 points and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Khalil and Singh each scored eight points.

In the loss to Columbia, Shasta led 32-26 at half but couldn't hang on for the win against a 13-0 Columbia squad. Shasta made nine 3s compared to Columbia's one but Columbia shot 20 of 25 from the free throw line. Gorden registered a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds, Palumbo scored 15 points and grabbed three steals off the bench and Singh scored eight points and dished five assists.