Struggling Pirates Face Fighting Cacti in Classic Showdown

COPPER MOUNTAIN, Calif. (Interstat) — The Copper Mountain Fighting Cacti look to rebound from a weekend loss when they host the struggling Palo Verde Pirates in a men’s junior college basketball game Sunday at the Greg Anderson Memorial Classic.

The Fighting Cacti (5-3) enter the contest after a 91-84 home loss to Los Angeles Harbor on Saturday. They will rely on forward Amarion Wallace, who posted 23 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in that defeat. Wallace has been a consistent force for a Copper Mountain squad that has shown resilience, including a road win at Antelope Valley just one day before its latest loss.

They face a Palo Verde team mired in an eight-game losing streak after a promising 2-0 start. The Pirates (2-8) fell 93-80 to Pasadena City on Saturday, their eighth consecutive defeat. The lone bright spot has been forward Dejon Townsend, who is coming off a stellar 27-point, 12-rebound performance in the loss. Townsend also recorded a double-double (21 points, 11 rebounds) in Palo Verde’s most recent victory, a 78-76 win over Los Angeles Pierce on Dec. 5.

The Pirates have struggled defensively, allowing an average of 86.4 points during their eight-game skid. Their offense has been inconsistent outside of Townsend’s contributions. Adam Hubbard (15 points) and Isaac Nevarez (11 points) provided secondary scoring against Pasadena City.

Copper Mountain, which has won three of its last five, will aim to exploit Palo Verde’s defensive woes. Beyond Wallace, the Fighting Cacti have gotten steady production from Tyrece Rose (16 points vs. LA Harbor) and Tyree Rose (13 points).

Sunday’s matchup is the first of two scheduled meetings between the teams this season. They are slated to meet again in a conference rematch at Copper Mountain on Jan. 7, 2026.

Tip-off is set for Sunday afternoon. The Fighting Cacti will travel to face Santiago Canyon on Tuesday, while the Pirates host Cerro Coso next Saturday.