CRC competed well against the 2nd place Pirates of Modesto JC. In the first matchup back in January with the Hawks and Pirates, CRC played most of the game with the lead but lost in the closing minutes 69-66. This time, CRC played most of the game from behind but stayed right within reach of a stealing the victory on the road. The Hawks played a strong 2nd half and cut the lead to 2pts with 29 seconds remaining after a three in transition by De'Rajaee Austin. CRC called timeout. The Hawks went for a quick steal off a trap, but didn't get it and were forced to foul. Modesto made both free throws. With a 4-point deficit on the next possession for CRC, the ball went baseline out-of-bounds on a tipped pass under their basket. The inbound pass was made to Austin for a baseline jumper. He got fouled and was sent to the line for 2 free throws with 13 seconds left. Unfortunately, he went 0-for-2. Modesto escaped with an 82-78 win.
After the game, head coach Jonathan James commented, "Modesto is a talented team. They have guys that can contribute at every position. We are young and have to understand that in order to beat teams like that, we must be consistent in our effort, energy, and intensity."
The Hawks final Big 8 conference game is on the road at Sierra this Thursday at 5:30pm.
TOP SCORERS – De'Rajaee Austin 21pts 7ast, Jordan Roberson 21pts 7reb, Jalen Valverde 14pts 5reb, Paul Ohiri 12pts 6reb