(Escondido, CA) After taking a commanding 34-10 lead into the half, Mt. SAC (5-2, 2-2) wound up having to come from behind with less than a minute to play to secure a 48-45 National Central Conference win over Palomar (4-5, 2-2) at Escondido High School on Saturday.
The Mounties scored first on an 18-yard pass from Ike Udengwu III to Bryce Pierre at the 10:53 mark of the first quarter. A pair of Comet scores put the hosts up 10-7 at the end of the first quarter.
Mt. SAC responded with a 27-point outburst in the second to take a 34-10 lead at halftime, but Palomar started chipping away at that lead, closing the gap to 41-31 through three quarters.
Trailing 41-38 late in the game, the Comets took the lead on a five-yard pass play to go up 45-41 with 3:49 left on the clock. Udengwu III then led the Mounties on a nine-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in the decisive score, a 30-yard pass to Reginald Anderson at the 0:47 mark, to take the lead for good
Udengwu III passed for 123 yards on the night, completing 11 of 24 passes with two touchdowns. Anderson was his top target with six catches, 70 yards, and one touchdown, the decisive score.
Keoua Kauni tallied a game-high 175 yards rushing on 23 carries for Mt. SAC, which included one touchdown, a 33-yard run late in the first half. Teammates Udengwu III (12 carries, 61 yards) and Yisrael Stephens (seven carries, 56 yards, 3 TDs) also contributed to the Mountie rushing attack, which amassed 378 yards.
Mt. SAC will close out its regular-season schedule at home with an NCC matchup against Cerritos (3-5, 2-2) on Saturday, Nov. 13, at 1 p.m.
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For additional information, please contact the Mt. SAC Sports Information Office at 909.274.4630.
