No. 6 Giants Battle Past Lemoore in Hard-Fought Road Victory
| Final | 1 | 2 | T |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sequoias
|
43 | 54 | 97 |
|
Lemoore
|
38 | 53 | 91 |
LEMOORE, Calif. — The College of the Sequoias men's basketball team (21-3, 10-0) faced a tough test on the road Saturday night but managed to grind out a 97-91 victory over a motivated Lemoore Golden Eagles squad (7-17, 3-7). The Giants overcame a strong shooting performance from the Golden Eagles, using rebounding and clutch free-throw shooting to secure their 10th conference win.
Sophomore Jaden Haire (Hanford West HS) led the charge with a huge double-double, scoring a season-high 30 points while grabbing 17 rebounds. Tyree Gill (Burbank HS) added 21 points on an efficient 7-of-13 shooting night, and Davis White (Saugus HS) contributed 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals. Kevin Anderson (Atlanta) provided key production off the bench, chipping in 13 points while knocking down two three-pointers.
Sequoias held a slim 43-38 lead at halftime and had to withstand multiple second-half surges from Lemoore, who shot an impressive 52.4% from the field. Despite being tested down the stretch, the Giants stayed composed, converting 29-of-32 free throws (90.6%) and outrebounding Lemoore 52-38 to maintain control of the game.
"This was the kind of game we needed," Head Coach Dallas Jensen said. "Lemoore played really well, and we had to fight for everything tonight. I'm proud of how we responded to adversity. These types of close games will only make us better heading into the final stretch of the season."
The Giants finished with 18 assists as a team, led by Raydon Thorson (Queen Creek), who dished out 9 assists while also grabbing 4 rebounds. Leyton McGovern (Anderson) added 11 points, while Cameron Kelly (Decatur) grabbed 4 boards and played strong interior defense.
Upcoming Game
Sequoias will return home for a crucial matchup against conference rival Fresno City College on Wednesday, February 12, at 5:00 p.m. at Porter Field House, on the campus of College of the Sequoias. The game will be part of a doubleheader, with the No. 1 state-ranked COS women's team playing at 3:00 p.m. in what is set to be an exciting night of basketball.
Notable Performances
- Jaden Haire: 30 points, 17 rebounds, 10-of-12 FT
- Tyree Gill: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 6-of-6 FT
- Davis White: 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals
- Kevin Anderson: 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 three-pointers
- Raydon Thorson: 6 points, 9 assists, 4 rebounds
- Leyton McGovern: 11 points, 2 rebounds
Team Stats
Lemoore
| Game Statistics | Sequoias | Lemoore |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals | (31-76) | (33-63) |
| Field Goal % | 40.8% | 52.4% |
| Rebounds | 52 | 38 |
| Assists | 18 | 13 |
| Turnovers | 14 | 6 |
