OCEANSIDE, Calif. (Interstat) — The Palomar Comets built a large early lead and withstood a furious second-half rally to defeat the MiraCosta Spartans 74-66 in a California Community College men’s basketball game Wednesday night.

Palomar dominated the first quarter, taking a 39-24 lead behind Angel Ochoa’s 26 points. MiraCosta surged after halftime, outscoring Palomar 42-35 in the second quarter, but could not overcome the early deficit. Logan Mason led the Spartans with 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Palomar improved to 17-8. MiraCosta fell to 9-15.