No. 9 Giants open defense of CVC men's basketball title by hosting No. 4 Columbia
By Nick Giannandrea
COS ATHLETICS
As conference play kicks off in eight of California's 13 community college men's basketball leagues on Jan. 4, the state's marquee attraction is set for College of the Sequoias' Porter Field House.
That is where the Giants, ranked No. 9 in the state by the California Community College Men's Basketball Coaches Association, will play host to No. 4 Columbia to launch the Central Valley Conference season.
No other matchup among 35 games around the state features two teams ranked among the Top 10.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Entry into Porter Field House is $7 general admission and $5 for seniors and students. Children 10 and younger will be admitted free.
Columbia travels to Visalia with a 12-2 record. The Claim Jumpers had rolled off 10 consecutive wins before a 59-58 overtime loss in their most recent game Dec. 30 against No. 27 Contra Costa.
Defending CVC champion Sequoias enters 11-3 and winners of six straight. The Giants' winning streak features conquests of three ranked teams -- No. 22 Cerritos, No. 23 Gavilan and No. 29 San Mateo.
"When you play the game of basketball the right way, it becomes rewarding and fun," Sequoias coach Dallas Jensen said. "I think our boys are starting to realize that. And winning is a lot of fun. They are doing everything they can to build one another up. They are learning how to be coachable with one another. It's a fun group. They are starting to compete at a high level, and they are doing all the little things to win ball games."
Sequoias wrapped up 2022 with a pair of wins at the Andrel Gaines Memorial Classic in Gilroy, beating host Gavilan 83-63 on Dec. 30 and Cabrillo 79-74 on Dec. 31.
Javohn Garcia, a sophomore transfer from NCAA Division I Massachusetts, led the way with a combined 63 points.
The 6-foot-3 guard from Columbus, Ohio, had 29 points, three rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks against Gavilan. Terri Miller (Clovis North High) contributed 13 points, six rebounds and three assists; Jose Cuello (Harlem, New York) had 12 points, seven rebounds and two assists; Cameron Clark (Snellville, Ga.) had seven points and 15 rebounds; Tyjean Burrell (Sacramento) had eight points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal; and Tyree Gill (Sacramento) added eight points.
Against Cabrillo, Garcia put up 34 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Miller had 14 points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocks; while Burrell added 13 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Garcia (20.8 points per game), Burrell (13.7) and Miller (12.7) have been the leading scorers on the season for a Giants' team that also receives contributions from Omari Nesbit (Sacramento), Tre'von Martin (Las Vegas), George Carter (Stockton), Alex Argandar (Modesto), Samuel Bazunga (France), Takari Fields (Champaign, Ill.) and Lucas Wilrich (Yuba).
"Things are starting to come together," Jensen said. "The fun thing is I still think there is a lot of room for growth. I don't think we are anywhere close to where we could be in the next month or two. So I'm excited to see how this team continues to progress. It's a very close unit. They work really hard. We're starting to get a little player-led leadership. We're just trying to continue to trend in the right direction."
The Giants play one other game this week, hosting Merced (3-11) at 5 pm. Jan. 7 in the nitecap of a doubleheader with the women's team. Sequoias' state No. 6-ranked women (14-2) open defense of its CVC title against No. 27 Merced (9-7) at 3 p.m.