DeLaittre Leads PLNC into Triton Tipoff Final

Forward Shawn DeLaittre scored 41 points and added 16 rebounds and five steals to lead Point Loma Nazarene to a 90-74 victory over UC San Diego in a first-round game of the Triton Tipoff Tournament.

PLNC (2-1) and Redlands play at 8 tonight for the tournament championship. UC San Diego (1-2) meets Christian Heritage at 6 p.m.

DeLaittre’s 41 points equaled the tournament record. PLNC center Ed Morgan set a tournament record with 18 rebounds as the Crusaders had a 55-39 advantage on the boards.

Guard Rodney Lusain led UC San Diego with 18 points, but the Tritons shot only 37% from the field.

Redlands survived a 24-point performance from Christian Heritage’s Jeff Martin and 47% free-throw shooting to take an 89-79 victory in the opener.

Martin was 5 for 12 from three-point range, and David Jeremiah, Sean Clark and David Piester each scored at least 11 points, but CHC (0-4) shot only 40% from the field and committed 20 turnovers. Redlands (2-0) got 18 points and eight rebounds from John Arnold.

Sophomore Marcus Banks scored 18 points on 9-for-12 shooting, and San Diego State shot 60% from the field in the second half to defeat Marathon Oil, 97-91, in an exhibition game in front of 682 at Peterson Gym.

Five other Aztecs reached double figures, including Keith Balzer with 15 points. Tony Clark had eight rebounds and Joe McNaull seven--each scored 13 points--and the Aztecs had a 38-30 advantage on the boards.

SDSU, which opens its season at 7:30 Tuesday against the University of San Diego at the San Diego Sports Arena, also got 11 points in 21 minutes from freshman Berry Randle.

FOOTBALL

Marking its fourth consecutive bowl appearance, Palomar College will play Mt. San Antonio College in the Orange County Bowl, Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. at Orange Coast College.

Palomar (9-1) won the Mission Conference Southern Division championship, Mt. SAC (8-2) won the Northern Division. Palomar, the defending national champion, is led by quarterback Tom Luginbill, who completed 204 of 329 attempts for 3,093 yards and 22 touchdowns, and Tony Burton, who rushed 162 times for 1,042 yards and 18 touchdowns.

The Comets defeated Ventura and Antelope Valley in the 1989 and ’90 Hall of Fame bowls and Hayward Chabot in the 1991 Merced Elks Bowl.