Sophomore Malik McCowan totaled 23 points and nine assists while freshman Elijah Cardenas posted 22 points and five rebounds to help lead the Porterville College Pirates to a 99-85 non-conference win at Moorpark College on Monday night.
The victory evened PC's overall record at 5-5 as the Pirates continue a two-game trip near the Southern California coast on Tuesday at nearby Oxnard College at 6 p.m.
Porterville trailed early in the first half of Monday's contest and was down 29-22 at the 7:49 mark. But an 8-1 run capped by a Jackson Cascio three-pointer tied up the contest at 30-30 with 6:23 to go in the opening half.
Moorpark once again pulled out in front 34-32 before Porterville put together an impressive 15-0 run that put the Pirates ahead for good. Carndenas' layup with 2:09 to play in the first gave PC a commanding 47-34 advantage and allowed Porterville to take a 52-41 lead into halftime. The Pirates led by as many as 21 points in the second half.
Also playing a big role in the win for the Pirates with double-digit scoring efforts were Carlos Angel (15 points), Elijah Mascorro (14 points), and Cascio (11 points).
Tuesday's contest at Oxnard closes out Porterville's non-conference schedule. The Pirates open Central Valley Conference play on Jan. 3 when they host Merced College in a 7 p.m. game.
