SACRAMENTO (11-9) - Cosumnes River started the 2017-18 season as the hosts of the CRC Invitational and hosting Los Medanos College. The Mustangs used a 23-4 fourth quarter to defeat the Hawks 77-59.
The Hawks were coming off a 6-21 season in 2016-2017 while the Mustangs went 2-20 in the 2016-2017 season.
In the first quarter, the Mustangs would start the game on a 5-0 spurt capped by a Chrysta Ray free throw. The Hawks would then go on a 9-1 run, capped by a Micaela Dagler layup, to take the lead at 9-6. The Hawks would take their largest lead of the ballgame at eight, at 25-17, on a Trina Shaner three pointer with twenty four seconds left in the quarter. The Hawks led 25-17 at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Mustangs would methodically chip away at the lead. The Hawks gained their largest lead of the quarter at seven, at 26-19, on a Brookelyn Larkin free throw with 8:50 left in the half. From that point, the Mustangs would go on an 20-9 run, capped by an Elsa Ross layup with 1:53 left in the half, to give the Mustangs the lead at 39-35. The Mustangs led 41-39 at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Hawks would take the lead, at 42-41, on a Brianna Brooks free throw with 9:16 left in the quarter. The two teams would play a back and fourth quarter with neither team would lead by more than five. The Mustangs would gain their largest lead of the quarter at three, at 45-42, on a Ray layup with 7:54 left in the quarter. From that point, the Hawks would go on a 13-5 run, capped by a pair of Trina Shaner free throws, to take their largest lead of the quarter, at 55-50, with fifty seconds left in the quarter. Foul trouble would become the story in the third quarter as two players for the Hawks would foul out of the ballgame leaving the Hawks with only three players available at the end of the quarter. The Hawks led 55-54 at the end of the quarter.
In the fourth quarter, the Mustangs would take advantage of the Hawks' lack of players. The Mustangs would take the lead at 56-55 on an Adorah Buggs layup with 9:49 left. The Mustangs would gain a double-digit lead at 65-55 on a Ray jumper with 6:56 left. The Mustangs would gain their largest lead of the game at twenty, at 75-55, on a Danielle Daniels jumper with 2:11 left. The Mustangs would win 77-59.
Larkin had a game high thirty one points to lead the Hawks. Ray had twenty-six points for the Mustangs. Trina Shaner had twenty one and three players had two in the loss. Buggs had seventeen points and Ross had twelve points.
The Hawks shot 29.2% (19-65) from the field, 45.5% (5-11) from the three-point line and were 57.1% (16-28) from the free throw line. The Mustangs shot 37.2% (29-78) from the field, 25% (4-16) from the three-point line and 57.7% (15-26) from the foul line. Cosumnes River's defense forced eighteen Mustang turnovers scoring ten points off the turnovers while the Mustangs' defense forced twenty-eight turnovers by Cosumnes River scoring fifteen points off the turnovers. Los Medanos outrebounded Cosumnes River 57-49 and the Mustangs had thirteen more points off the bench (14-1) than did the Hawks.
The Hawks will play their next game tomorrow as they take on West Hills College of Lemoore. Game time is set for noon.