PALO VERDE, Calif. (Interstat) — The Palo Verde Pirates narrowly defeated the Los Angeles Pierce Brahmas 78-76 in a men’s junior college basketball game Friday. The Pirates improved to 2-7, while the Brahmas fell to 3-4.

In a game featuring prolific first-half offense, Palo Verde held a 78-76 lead after a combined 154 points through two quarters. The second half became a defensive struggle, with neither team scoring.

Salameh Dugum-Maraboto led all scorers with 26 points for Palo Verde. Teammate Dejon Townsend added 21 points and 11 rebounds. Andrew Shackelford scored 18 points for Los Angeles Pierce. Interstat’s ELO system had projected the Brahmas with a 68.40 percent probability to win.