No. 16 Palomar Wins Overtime Thriller in Electric Dome, Advances to Face No. 1 Fullerton

SAN MARCOS, CA (2/25/2026) --  In front of an electric home crowd inside the Dome, No. 16 Palomar delivered a historic performance Wednesday night, defeating No. 17 Bakersfield College 92–89 in overtime to advance in the Southern California Regional.

With a postseason atmosphere that matched the moment, the Comets fed off the energy in the building from tip-off through the final possession. The victory marks Palomar's first postseason win since the 2012–13 season, ending a 13-year drought and giving Head Coach Ivan Patterson his first playoff win at the helm.

Palomar led 41–35 at halftime, but Bakersfield answered in the second half to force overtime. In the extra period, the Dome erupted as the Comets made key stops and converted from the free-throw line to close out the three-point victory.

Benjie Nudo turned in one of the best performances of his career, pouring in 35 points on 13-of-22 shooting, including five three-pointers, while adding six steals.

Jaidyn Norman added 19 points, knocking down 9-of-13 from the free-throw line, and Isaiah Pomare contributed 14 points and eight rebounds in 44 minutes of action.

Justin White chipped in 11 points, and Angel Ochoa added eight points and five assists as the Comets capitalized on turnovers, scoring 26 points off Bakersfield miscues.

Despite being outrebounded 55–35, Palomar forced 27 turnovers and leaned on the energy from the home crowd down the stretch to seal the win.

With the victory, Palomar improves to 19–10 overall and advances to the second round, where the Comets will travel to face No. 1 Fullerton College on Saturday at 5 p.m.