Yuba 73, Contra Costa 70

Yuba College Men's Basketball: "Yuba basketball has had one incredible up and down season...injuries, defections, new academic guidelines and finishing the season sometimes with only 5-6 bodies at practice. Tonight Yuba battled through one of the craziest , weirdest games of all time and came out with a 73-70 win on the road at #6 State ranked Contra Costa. With the win Yuba will get to host the BVC Tournament Championship at Yuba College Friday night vs Mendocino College at 7:30 pm which will be the last time this team will get to play at home. Would love to see the community out Friday to support the end to a crazy year!!!"

Appeal-Democrat: "The 49ers' season continues.

The Yuba College men's basketball team picked up its biggest win of the season on Wednesday night, fighting its way back from an early deficit to earn a 73-70 victory over top-seeded Contra Costa in the Bay Valley Conference Tournament semifinals in San Pablo.

Contra Costa, the regular season conference champion, came in ranked fifth in the state by the California Community Colleges Men's Basketball Coaches Association and had lost just one BVC game all season. That loss also came at the hands of the 49ers in the conference opener on Jan. 5.

Yuba's win, coupled with Mendocino's 102-94 upset victory over Merritt on the other side of the bracket on Wednesday night, means the 49ers will host the tournament championship on Friday at 7 p.m.

They had to work to earn it.

Yuba (16-12 overall) trailed 31-16 early before cutting the deficit to 32-23 at the half. They continued to battle in the second half through several stoppages due to clock malfunctions and bookkeeping errors before icing the game by going a perfect 8 for 8 from the free-throw line in the final minute.

"It was literally one of the craziest games I've ever been a part of. It was a disaster," said Yuba coach Doug Cornelius. "It was bizarre. We were just terrible in the first half, but the kids hung with it and kept battling."

Kevin Daniels led the way for the 49ers with a team-high 21 points, including three big 3-pointers, and he hit two clutch free throws at the end to provide the final margin.

Vasilije Saraba went 6 for 6 from the free-throw line down the stretch to finish with 15 points, and James Hadnot provided a big spark off the bench with 15 points to go with eight rebounds."