Preview: Santa Monica Corsairs at Citrus Owls

GLENDORA, Calif. (Interstat) — A stark contrast in trajectories will be on display Saturday when the surging Citrus College Owls host the struggling Santa Monica College Corsairs in a California community college men’s basketball matchup.

The Owls (15-1), whose only blemish is a double-overtime road loss in November, enter as one of the state’s hottest teams. They have won eight straight games, including a 99-82 victory at Canyons on Wednesday. Their offense has been prolific, scoring 98 points or more in four of their last five contests.

Citrus is powered by sophomore forward Dev Hamilton, who has been on a dominant run. Over his last four games, Hamilton is averaging 23.3 points and 9.3 rebounds, including a 33-point, 9-rebound performance in a key road win at Sequoias on Jan. 2. He scored 23 points in 26 minutes off the bench in the win over Canyons.

The Santa Monica Corsairs (5-12) are looking to build on rare momentum after snapping a five-game skid with a 74-68 home win over Los Angeles Valley on Jan. 10. That victory, however, stands as their only win since late November.

The Corsairs will rely on forward Khafre Garrett-Mills, who led the way in that win with 22 points and eight rebounds. He is averaging 15.5 points and 7.0 rebounds over his last two games. Jerrell McCready added 10 points and seven assists in the win.

Recent history heavily favors the Owls. During their current win streak, Citrus has defeated opponents by an average margin of 24.6 points. Santa Monica, meanwhile, has struggled defensively, allowing 82 points or more in seven of their 12 losses this season.

The teams will meet again in Santa Monica on Feb. 11. For the Corsairs, Saturday’s contest represents one of their toughest tests of the season as they aim to derail a Citrus squad that has shown no signs of slowing down.

Tip-off is set for Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, at Citrus College.