Giants men's basketball season ends in second round of NorCal Regional playoffs
By Nick Giannandrea
COS ATHLETICS
The streak will not continue for College the Sequoias men's basketball team.
The third-seeded Giants went cold in the second half and watched a double-digit lead evaporate during a 66-65 loss to No. 14 Cosumnes River in the second round of the Northern California Regional playoffs on March 1 at Porter Field House.
Sequoias (24-5) had reached the California Community College Athletic Association's Elite Eight tournament in each of the past five championship seasons. It was the longest streak of consecutive Elite Eight appearances among the 100 teams across the state.
The Giants entered their regionals matchup against Cosumnes River with a 12-0 record on their home court this season. They went out and built a 44-32 lead in the first half against the Hawks.
But Sequoias went cold in the second half, converting only 5 of 23 shots (21.7 percent), including an 0-for-8 effort from 3-point range. The Giants shot 47.7 percent overall and 35.2 percent from 3-point range at home entering the game.
Cosumnes River (20-10) scored the first six points of the second half to make it a six-point game (44-38).
The Hawks launched an 11-0 run with 14 minutes and 48 seconds remaining in the game on a 3-pointer by Kainoa Marasco, and capped it on Mason Marsh's layup with 11:28 left to forge a 49-49 tie.
The lead would change hands seven times and there were two ties the rest of the way.
Sequoias had a 65-61 lead with 2:10 to play after a free throw by Jaden Haire (Hanford West).
Haire then came up with a steal to give the Giants possession with 1:54 left. But Sequoias immediately gave the ball back to Cosumnes River, the first of three turnovers on three consecutive possessions.
The Hawks, meanwhile, cut their deficit to 65-63 on a Marsh jumper with 49 seconds remaining.
Cosumnes River took the lead for good on a 3-pointer by Marasco with 32 seconds left.
Sequoias had two shots at retaking the lead.
But the first, a driving floater off the glass by Tyree Gill (Sacramento), appeared to be falling through the cylinder before bouncing out and getting knocked out of bounds by Cosumnes River with 12 seconds left.
Haire got off the second attempt, a pull-up jumper off a drive to the front of the basket, but it lipped out and out of bounds off the Hawks with 0.2 on the clock.
The Giants' final inbounds pass was intercepted by Cosumnes River as time expired, sending the Hawks on to the NorCal Regional finals, where they will face No. 6 Santa Rosa.
Gill delivered 28 points, nine rebounds, three steals and a block in his final game for Sequoias.
Also playing their last games as Giants, Haire had five points, eight rebounds, two steals, an assist and a block; Davis White (Santa Clarita) had five points, five rebounds, an assist and a steal; Raydon Thorson (Queen Creek, Ariz.) had two points, two rebounds and an assist; and Jayson Mathews (Sacramento) had two points, three assists, a rebound and a steal.
Haire has committed to play next season at Texas A&M Corpus Christi. The rest of the team's sophomores are expected to continue their careers at four-year colleges next season but haven't committed yet.
Freshman Leyton McGovern (Anderson, Ind.) had eight points, two rebounds and an assist. He has committed to play next season at Cal State Bakersfield.
Among Sequoias' freshmen expected to return next season, Cameron Kelly (Decatur, Ga.) contributed 10 points, six rebounds, four blocks, two steals and an assist; and Ahmad Clark (Atlanta, Ga.) had five points, four rebounds and a steal.
Among the highlights of Sequoias' season were a sixth straight Central Valley Conference championship, a 16-game winning streak, and multiple All-CVC honors, including Defensive Player of the Year Thorson; first-team All-CVC selections Haire, Gill, White and McGovern; Freshman of the Year McGovern; All-Defensive members Haire, Gill and Mathews; Honorable Mentions Thorson and Kelly; and All-Freshmen selections Kelly and Kevin Anderson (Atlanta, Ga.).
