Cosumnes River College basketball updated

Nicholas Podesta updates men's basketball at Cosumnes River College:

Hawks take Clark Classic Championship, defeat Yuba in MJC opener
Cosumnes River looked to improve from a disappointing 1-2 start to the season, following their loss in the 3rd Place game of the Ed Boyle Classic at Mendocino College, as they hosted the 34th Annual James Clark Classic at Cosumnes River College. The talented field for the tournament included Chabot College, Columbia College, Feather River College, Merced JC, Modesto JC, Napa Valley College and Porterville College. Running through this past Saturday, the Hawks were looking to take the tournament for the first time in three seasons.

The Hawks opened up against Merced Junior College on Thursday night. CRC did not play particularly well in this game, as a number of fouls and turnovers kept the visiting Blue Devils in the game. However, a strong 24 point and 12 rebound performance from Charles Standifer (Capital Christian HS/Sacramento) helped the Hawks advance, as Cosumnes River defeated Merced JC 77-74. Freshman forward Tahron Morrison (Vanden HS/Oakland) had a breakout game for the Hawks, scoring 11 points while recording seven rebounds and three assists.  The Hawks performance in the semifinal matchup against Columbia College was must better, as CRC dominated from the opening tip.  Three CRC players scored 20 points or more in the game, as the Hawks blew out the Claim Jumpers 109-69 to advance to the championship game. Standifer once again paced the Hawks attack with 27 points on 11-18 shooting, while freshman guard Justin Barrels (Central HS/Fresno) and forward Miguel French (Lindhurst HS/Marysville) scored 21 and 20 points respectively. French also collected 10 rebounds, recording his first career double-double.

The Hawks faced a tough early-season test against visiting Feather River College in the championship game on Saturday afternoon. The Golden Eagles, who defeated CRC last season in the finals, were coming off a dominant 92-76 victory over Big 8 opponent Modesto JC in the semifinals. Cosumnes River had their best defensive performance of the season however, as they contained a potent FRC offense, that managed only 67 points on the day. Behind another huge performance by Standifer, who scored 28 points while collecting seven rebounds and four steals, the Hawks took the Clark Classic championship with a decisive 76-67 victory. Justin Barrels had another solid performance for CRC with 16 points, while post Jaycob Velasco (Pleasant Valley HS/Sacramento) scored 15 points and recorded eight rebounds.

Cosumnes River continued to ride that momentum last night against defending State Runner-up Yuba College, in the opening round of the 75th Annual Modesto JC Tournament. The Hawks extended their winning streak to four games with their 88-87 overtime victory over the 49ers. Five players scored in double-figures for the Hawks in the victory, paced by a standout 24 point, 10 rebound performance by wing Charles Standifer. Standifer’s four blocked shots and four steals also helped to lead the Hawks defensively. Velasco, French, Barrels, and freshman point guard Rodney Cook (Bethel HS/Vallejo) all contributed 15, 11, 10 and 12 points respectively. The opening round victory sets up a second round matchup between the 5-2 Hawks and top-ranked City College of San Francisco (8-0) Thursday night at 10 PM. The 16-team tournament runs through this Saturday.