CITY'S 12-GAME CONFERENCE WIN STREAK ENDED AT GROSSMONT

The back-to-back defending PCAC South champion Knights opened the 2019 conference season with 47-41 road loss at Grossmont on Friday with Kiley Pope leading the team with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists, and Elliott Nixon adding nine points and six rebounds. 

It was City's first conference loss since January 27, 2016, a streak of 12 games. 

Both teams shot poorly in the first quarter, but the Knights were able to take an 11-7 lead after 10 minutes. They then took their biggest lead of the game, 16-7, early in the second quarter after back-to-back steals and layups from Pope.

That lead was down to three at halftime and Grossmont, led by Hannah Lewis' 18 points, got to within one point by the end of the third quarter. 

The Griffins went ahead by three points early in the fourth on a 3-pointer by Lewis, but the Knights regained a 35-33 lead after a pair of successful free throws by Jasmyn Wolfgramm and a 3-pointer from Pope with 4:34 remaining. 

That's when Grossmont scored 11 straight points to grab a 9-point lead with a minute left on the clock. 

Pope hit another 3-pointer to get the Knights to within five with 29 seconds left, but that turned out to be the last bucket for City. 

The Knights will be on the road again on Wednesday as they head to Mt. San Jacinto for a non-conference game that tips at 5 p.m.