HAWKS DEFEAT REEDLEY 72-64 IN MJC TOURNAMENT OPENER

MODESTO, Calif. – The Cosumnes River men's basketball team won their sixth straight game, opening up the 76^th MJC Basketball Tournament with a 72-64 victory over Reedley College on Tuesday night.  The Hawks advance to the second round, where they will take on the winner of Shasta-Chabot on Thursday night.

CRC took control of the contest from the opening tip, taking an early double-digit lead that would last the duration of the contest.  The Hawks defense held the Reedley Tigers to only 15 points in the first half of play, taking a 30-15 lead into the break.  Cosumnes River's night was marked by missed opportunities on offense, as they struggled to get much going against Reedley's 3-2 zone for much of the night.  The Hawks struggled from the field for the entire night, converting only eight of 32 attempts in the first half, including two of six from the perimeter.  Sophomore forward Jaycob Velasco, pictured right, led the Hawks early with nine points and 13 boards at the break.

The contest took on a faster pace in the second half, as Cosumnes River opened up their lead, pushing Reedley's deficit to nearly 20 points.  However, the Hawks once again struggled from the field, shooting in the low 30's for the entire night.  CRC's struggles from the field didn't follow them to the charity stripe, however, as the Hawks converted on over 70% of their attempts.  The Tigers fought valiantly, bringing the lead to single digits late in the game.  However, it was too little too late, as CRC closed out the 72-64 victory to advance to the next round of the 76^th MJC Basketball Tournament.

The sophomore Velasco opened the tournament with an impressive 16 point, 18 rebound performance.  Sophomore guard Brenden Glapion was also impressive on the night, scoring 15 points off the bench on five of eight shooting, including two of five from the perimeter.  Fellow sophomores TJ Williams and AJ Bridges also scored in double-digits for the Hawks.  The Tigers were led offensively by sophomore Andre Frazier, who scored a game-high 22 points on 10 of 14 shooting, including 18 points in the second half.  Guards Demetri Randolph and Walter Orr also scored in double-digits for Reedley, with 13 point and 10 point performances, respectively.

Cosumnes River, now with an overall record of 6-1, will return to Modesto on Thursday night when they play the late game at 10 PM.  The Hawks will take on the winner of today's Shasta-Chabot contest, which will be played at 2 PM today at Modesto Junior College.