Giants seeded 5th for NorCal Regionals, set to host Butte on Feb. 28
By Nick Giannandrea
COS Athletics
The postseason path for College of the Sequoias' men's basketball team begins at Porter Field House.
In their first season under coach Dallas Jensen, the Giants were seeded fifth for the California Community College Athletic Association's Northern California Regional playoffs, and are scheduled to host No. 12 Butte at 7 p.m. Feb. 28 in a round two game. Admission, as set by the state, is $12 for general admission and $8 for seniors and students. COS passes will not be honored.
COS (22-6, 11-3) finished tied for second with Columbia in the Central Valley Conference, while Butte (16-10, 6-4) was tied for second with Shasta in the Golden Valley Conference. The Roadrunners have been led by Noah Zoppi, who averages 17 points and 4.9 rebounds a game. Butte also features Eric Spencer (11.4 points and 7.1 rebounds per game) and Shakwon Lewis (10.5 points, 4.6 assists and 3.2 steals per game).
The COS/Butte winner advances to face the winner between No. 4 Yuba (23-5) and No. 13 Las Positas (20-8) in round three March 7 at the site of the best remaining seed. The winner of that game moves on to the state's Elite Eight tournament, scheduled for March 13-15 at West Hills-Lemoore.
Tiyon Martin (Pasadena) sent COS soaring into the postseason by delivering a triple-double during a 113-56 CVC-closing victory over West Hills-Lemoore on Feb. 22.
Martin finished with game-leading totals of 23 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists to help the Giants top the 100-point mark for the second straight game and fifth time this season.
Martin, who was named honorable mention All-Central Valley Conference on Feb. 23, made 9 of 16 shots from the field, including 5 of 6 from beyond the 3-point arc.
Hours after signing his national letter-of-intent to play for San Marcos-based NAIA university Saint Katherine, Dewayne Holmes scored 13 points along with four steals and three assists. Holmes, a sophomore from Riverside, was one of seven Giants to score in double figures.
Ryan Johnson (Hanford High) had 17 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Tiveon Stroud (Selma) had 16 points, seven rebounds and three blocks for COS. Both were selected first-team All-CVC. Johnson was named the conference's Freshman of the Year, while Stroud was first-team all-freshman CVC and a member of the conference's all-defensive team.
Elihu Cobb (Santa Maria), who was selected honorable mention all-CVC and a member of its all-defensive team, finished 14 points, 11 rebounds and two assists for the Giants.
COS also received 11 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals from Carlos Allen (Atlanta), and 10 points and eight rebounds from Lamine Ndione (Dakar, Nigeria).
Milton Burnett (Bullard), who has missed the Giants past two games with injuries, was also named honorable mention all-CVC.
The Giants have reached the state quarterfinals in two of the past four seasons. They are
COS lost to Citrus 70-59 last season in the quarterfinals during the final game of Rusty Smith's 18-year tenure as Giants' coach.making their third straight trip to the postseason and seventh in the past eight years.
