MODESTO, Calif.- The Chabot Gladiators (8-1) snapped the Hawks six-game winning streak, and evened the season series at a game apiece in the second round of the 76th MJC Tournament in Modesto. The Hawks look to stay alive in the tournament's double-elimination format this afternoon, when they take on the Mendocino Eagles.
Last night's contest was a tale of two halves, as the Hawks took control from the opening tip through halftime, before Chabot pulled away for good midway through the second half. Cosumnes River's struggles from the field continued, as they shot in the low 30's for the second straight contest. CRC's shooting woes were evident from the beginning of the contest, as sophomores AJ Bridges and TJ Williams struggled to get much going offensively early on. Cosumnes River shot a paltry 11 of 32 from the field in the first half, including two of seven from the perimeter. However, the Hawks grabbed 10 offensive rebounds in the first half, giving themselves second chances to score and making the most of those opportunities. CRC took a double-digit lead and maintained it for much of the first half, taking a 32-24 advantage into the break.
The Hawks lead wouldn't last though, as Chabot did a much better job attacking the basket, trading jump shots for layups which the Gladiators converted. Guards Ray Baldwin and Paris Davis took advantage of their size inside, as both players recorded double-digits in scoring in the second half, as Chabot took a commanding lead at the halfway point and didn't concede it down the stretch. In all, Chabot scored 51 points in the second half alone, en route to the 75-58 victory over the Hawks in the second round of the 76th MJC Tournament. Baldwin finished the game with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Paris Davis led all scorers with 18 on the night. Jaycob Velasco (pictured right) once again led the Hawks with a double-double, scoring 17 points while grabbing 13 rebounds in the loss. Brenden Glapion, who was making his first start of the season, was the only other Hawks player to score in double figures with 11. Freshman Joe Barnes had a quality game off the bench, scoring seven points while grabbing six rebounds, and dishing five assists in 14 minutes of action.
Cosumnes River (6-2) looks to advance to the fifth-place game with a win this afternoon, when the Hawks take on Mendocino (2-5) at 4 PM. The Eagles are led by sophomore guard Nate Henry and freshman forward Chris Ketter. Henry, a 6'2" local product out of Ukiah, is the Eagles leading scorer at over 13 points per contest. Ketter, a 6'2" forward out of Hartsville, South Carolina, is the Eagles primary post player. He's currently averaging 12 points and seven rebounds a game for Mendocino through seven games this season. The winner of today's Cosumnes River-Mendocino game will take on the winner of Cuesta-Columbia tomorrow at 3 PM in the fifth-place game. The Hawks last took fifth place in the MJC Tournament two seasons ago, when sophomore guard Fred Mobley hit a buzzer-beater to lead the Hawks past Mt. Hood CC out of Washington.