CUYAMACA COLLEGE
Cuyamaca College's Ronnie Simpson (left)
attempts to post-up on Grossmont College defender Willie Bailey
in the teams' regular-season finale, captured by the visiting
Coyotes. (2-21-04/Photo by Nick Pellegrino)
Coyotes club Griffins for sweep of district
series
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Playing for nothing except pride and local bragging
rights with no post-season opportunities in sight, Cuyamaca College
overcame a sluggish start to out-defense host Grossmont College
down the stretch Saturday (Feb. 21), lifting the Coyotes to an
80-65 triumph to close the Pacific Coast Conference schedule.
RONNIE SIMPSON scored a game-high 19 points, while AARON STRAYHAND
posted 12 of his 18 points in the second half, allowing the Coyotes
(10-15 overall; 8-6 PCC) to sweep the season series from the
Griffins (9-17, 6-8), after both teams split each of its 12 other
PCC contests.
"Our defensive intensity picked-up - it's all about defense
at this level," said Simpson. "Then we executed our
offense to perfection in the second half, and that was the ballgame."
Grossmont maintained the advantage through most of the opening
30 minutes before Cuyamaca chipped away and held several small
leads. However, following a 3-ball by Griffins guard AIDIN MORADI
for a 50-49 lead with eight minutes remaining, the Coyotes suddenly
responded with one of their best defensive stands of the season,
closing the contest on a 30-16 run.
The streak started with an 8-0 spurt, keyed by a MIKE WASHINGTON
(14 points, 10 rebounds) basket, and a pair of short jumpers
by Simpson.
"It's too bad we're not going to the playoffs," added
Simpson. "But we went 2-0 versus Grossmont, and that was
a goal of ours."
Keeping the pace under the contemporary speed limit, Cuyamaca
rarely turned the ball over, however, it took a while before
the Coyotes finished their shots, too. When they did, the baskets
came in bunches in the final minutes, including a series of seven
straight buckets on layins or dunks, as point guard JOHN KNIGHTS
finished with eight assists without any turnovers.
"We played hard after we rested the night before because
our goals were right there in front of us," noted Strayhand.
"Our goals were to get 10 wins this year and to come in
third place in league. And we did it, so I'm proud of the team."
Although Cuyamaca finished the season with the triumph, things
weren't too bleak on the Grossmont bench after the Griffins closed
the season winning 4 of its last 5.
"As good as we've been in our last 4-or-5 games, Cuyamaca
was just as good tonight," said Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER,
who also noted that several of his sophomores will have opportunities
to play at NCAA Division II or NAIA schools next season. "Their
defense is among the state leaders for a reason - they hold teams
down."
Case in points was Cuyamaca's defensive stop slapped on Grossmont
guard NICK STEPHENS. Coming off a 36-point effort just three
days earlier, Stephens was held to 5 by the Coyotes.
JEREMY LOPEZ got the Griffs started early by scoring all of his
11 points in the first half, while DONALD DESHOTELS finished
as the team leader with 15 points. However, despite leading for
virtually the entire half, Coyotes guard PEDER MIKKELSEN drained
his third 3-ball of the first half to give the visitors a 36-32
lead at the intermission.
RICHARD HOLMES scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half
in Cuyamaca's balanced attack.
"We did a better job concentrating and playing our tempo
on both offense and defense," noted Coyotes coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI.
"It's a great way to finish for us."
Only conference champion Southwestern and runner-up MiraCosta
are expected to advance to the state community college playoffs,
which will hold its seeding meeting on Monday (Feb. 23).
(02-21-04)
Southwestern College guard Will Waggoner, who preped
at Helix High School. (2-18-04/Photo by Nick Pellegrino).
Waggoner, Jaguars hit Cuyamaca hardwood
to clinch second-straight PCC title
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - WILL WAGGONER (left) knew nothing but
winning basketball championships during a three-year varsity
career (1997-2000) at Helix High School. Waggoner's winning ways
followed him to Southwestern College where the sophomore standout
has helped the Jaguars capture a pair of Pacific Coast Conference
crowns.
It seemed appropriate that Waggoner and the Jags would clinch
their latest PCC title in the East County, as the guard poured
in a game-high 20 points Wednesday (Feb. 18) to lift Southwestern
over host Cuyamaca College, 82-62.
"Everyone plays together, so we just keep on playing to
get ready for the playoffs," said Waggoner of the 22-4 Jags.
"Coach Cos (John Cosentino) talked to us at halftime, so
we came out and tried to bury them so everyone could get some
playing time."
With Waggoner and Kevin Smith (18 points) scoring from the outside,
the middle opened up for power forward Tremayne Singletary, who
finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Four of Singletary's
baskets came courtesy of passes by Waggoner, who finished with
eight assists.
"We have one of the best records in the state, but we get
no respect if we lose even one game," noted Singletary of
the 19th-ranked Jaguars. "They drop us in the polls every
time. The last time we lost, we fell seven places, so we'll have
to show them in the playoffs that a team from San Diego can win."
Waggoner & Co. prevented any Coyotes comeback with a solid
defensive effort in the second half. Only once could Cuyamaca
score consecutive baskets, never making a run as the Jaguars
steadily increased their lead. The triumph gives Southwestern
an 11-2 PCC mark with one game remaining, two games up on second
place MiraCosta.
Cuyamaca (9-15, 7-6), which remains tied for third with San Diego
City, received 13 points from RICHARD HOLMES, and another 11
by PEDER MIKKELSEN, but except for some isolated individual efforts
on defense by JESSE DOUBEK and AARON STRAYHAND, the Coyotes failed
to match-up with the physicality of Southwestern.
"Our coach always preaches defense," added Waggoner.
"So we put pressure on them and didn't let them go."
Southwestern tied Palomar for the 2002-03 PCC championship. But
the Comets are a far cry from the team they were last year.
(02-18-04)
Cuyamaca freshman Ronnie Simpson (No.
32), a product of Serra High, backs down an Imperial Valley opponent
during the Coyotes' 65-58 loss Saturday night. photo by Nick
Pellegrino
MiraCosta jumps over Coyotes in standings
by beating them
EastCountySports.com
OCEANSIDE - Hampered by one of its poorest shooting nights of
the Pacific Coast Conference season, the Cuyamaca College Coyotes
were forced to play catch-up most of Saturday night's (Feb. 14)
encounter at MiraCosta College. The Coyotes came up short as
MiraCosta prevailed 69-55. The victory allowed the Spartans (14-8,
8-4) to leapfrog Cuyamaca into second place in the PCC standings.
The Coyotes (9-14, 7-5) fell into a 3rd place tie with San Diego
City.
The always patient Spartans received 22 points apiece from Derek
Stockalper and Chris Nelson as MiraCosta kept its faint playoff
hopes alive.
"They got the ball to their best two players, and we didn't
do a very good job of stopping them," ROB WOJTKOWSKI said.
Poor shooting from the 3-point range also dinged the Coyotes,
who missed 17 of 20 shots from beyond the arc. Cuyamaca shot
an unspectacular 39 percent overall (18-for-46), while the Spartans
netted 8 three-pointers and shot just under 50 percent from the
field.
AARON STRAYHAND led the Coyotes with 17 points and 9 rebounds.
MIKE WASHINGTON (12 points, 6 rebounds) and RONNIE SIMPSON (10
points) also reached double figures for Cuyamaca.
The Coyotes wrap-up their season against Southwestern (Wednesday,
Feb. 18) at home and at Grossmont (Feb. 21). The Coyotes host
the first-place Jaguars at 5 p.m. and then close the campaign
at Grossmont at 7 p.m.
(02-14-04)
Coyotes escape with victory over Mesa
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Cuyamaca College coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI wasn't afraid
to admit it. He knew his Coyotes "got away" with one
Wednesday night (Feb. 11). That is, the Coyotes survived three
San Diego Mesa College misses from point-blank range in the final
20 seconds to escape with a 64-63 Pacific Coast Conference victory.
It was quite a turnaround, considering the Coyotes claimed the
first-round meeting 81-57.
"We were very fortunate to win," Wojtkowski said after
the Coyotes (9-13, 7-4) moved into a three-way tie with MiraCosta
and San Diego City for second place in the PCC.
PEDER MIKKELSEN paced Cuyamaca with 17 points, most of it coming
on 5-for-8 shooting from 3-point land. RONNIE SIMPSON slipped
in 12 points and 6 rebounds, while MIKE WASHINGTON pitched in
11 points and 14 rebounds. TRAMAINE WEST contributed 5 assists.
Cuyamaca travels to MiraCosta on Saturday (Feb. 14) for 7 p.m.
conference encounter.
(02-11-04)
Imperial Valley's Jonathan Sturgill defends
against Grossmont's Chris O'Doherty Wednesday night (Feb. 11)/photo
by Nick Pellegrino
Sturgill returns to show family, friends
court game as Imperial Valley thumps Coyotes
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Former Santana High guard JONATHAN STURGILL keyed
an offensive turnaround by Imperial Valley College, nailing a
pair of 3-balls during an 18-4 run, then added a steal for a
breakaway slam in the final minute Saturday (Feb. 7) as the visiting
Arabs clipped Cuyamaca 65-58 in a Pacific Coast Conference game.
Sturgill, who finished with 18 points, welcomed the opportunity
to play on home turf for the first time since graduating from
Santana in 2002.
"It's been a lot of hard work to get to this point, but
I'm glad I made the decision to go the Valley," noted Sturgill.
"I'm able to concentrate on basketball and the books and
get things done in a friendly environment."
The Coyotes twice managed to build 7-point leads, only to see
the shooting of Sturgill and T.J. Adams allow the Arabs to climb
back in the contest. Cuyamaca's early 17-10 lead vanished as
Sturgill sank a trey to catch the Coyotes at 19-all.
Cuyamaca immediately answered with seven straight points, as
MIKE WASHINGTON scored nine of his 13 points in the first half.
But by the time the second half commenced, a Sturgill trey cut
the lead to 31-30, then Adams was fouled on a lay-up following
a steal, with the 3-point play pushing the margin to 33-31.
A mass substitution of all five starters by Cuyamaca coach ROB
WOJTKOWSKI for poor play was soon follow. The Arabs lead reached
10, capped by an Emmanuel Brown block of a forced shot by Jesse
Doubek, as Sturgill raced the other way for a fast break lay-up
and a 45-35 lead.
"We're really just a second-half team," added Sturgill.
"This week, we did a lot of film work and talked about all
the mistakes we were making and trying to avoid them."
Instead, it was Cuyamaca's offense that has been stuck in the
mud ever since gaining a share of the PCC lead a week ago.
After cutting the lead to a bucket following consecutive jump
shots by RONNIE SIMPSON (14 points) and Washington, Sturgill
beat his defender off the dribble for a lay-up. Adams then stole
the ball for another easy basket. The turnover began a stretch
which saw the Coyotes' wheels spinning by committing six consecutive
turnovers by forcing the ball down court, turning a 49-47 nail-biter
into a comfortable Arabs advantage.
Sturgill then added the icing with a steal for a breakaway slam
dunk with 43.8 seconds remaining and a 64-51 cushion.
"It felt so good to play in front of family and friends
again," said the former Sultans guard. "And it feels
good to beat people who I've played against for years and to
finally come out on top. All the hard work has paid off."
IVC (6-14, 5-5), which canned 11 threes, has beaten Cuyamaca
(8-13, 6-4) three times this season. Aaron Strayhand collected
10 points 5 assists for for Cuyamaca (8-13 overall, 6-4 PCC).
Cuyamaca hosts San Diego Mesa on Wednesday (Feb. 11) at 5 p.m.
(02-07-04)
Palomar pounces early to knock Coyotes
from share of first
EastCountySports.com
SAN MARCOS - The Coyotes' 5-game winning streak ended and so
did Cuyamaca College's stay in the Pacific Coast Conference penthouse
Wednesday night (Feb. 4). Coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI's crew was given
the boot by host Palomar, as the Comets streaked to a 70-62 victory
in The Dome.
Wojtkowski sensed a feeling of complacency among his Coyotes
(8-12, 6-3), who were slapped back into reality when Palomar
pulled out to an 18-6 lead in the opening minutes.
Cuyamaca scrambled back to take an early lead in the second half,
but could not sustain the brief surge of momentum.
"They started pounding the ball inside and were killing
us on the offensive glass," Wojtkowski said. "They
must have scored 14-to-20 points off rebounds."
Nevertheless, the Coyotes were still in the hunt, trailing by
only 5 points with the ball and 1:50 remaining.
"We just couldn't execute down the stretch," Wojtkowski
said.
RICHARD HOLMES led Cuyamaca scorers with 16 points. RONNIE SIMPSON
added 14 points and 4 steals, while AARON STRAYHAND contributed
7 rebounds, 8 points and 4 assists. MIKE WASHINGTON pitched in
7 rebounds and 8 points.
The Coyotes shot only 42 percent from the field (23-for-55),
including 7-for-23 from 3-point range.
Chris Nickolei led the Comets (6-16, 3-6) with 14 points and
seven rebounds. The win was Palomar's third in its last four
games.
(02-04-04)
Coyotes get Jackson under wraps to move
into three-way tie for first
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - San Diego City College guard Robin Jackson single-handily
pulled the first-place Knights back from a 14-point deficit,
scoring 12 points over the final 6:26 of the first half from
locations all over the court Saturday night (Jan. 31). He seemed
nearly unstoppable and unguardable for while. Once host Cuyamaca
College was able to cool off Jackson, the Coyotes continued on
for a 70-61 victory, thus creating a three-way tie for the Pacific
Coast Conference lead.
"We needed to force him to one side of the court,"
explained Cuyamaca College's AARON STRAYHAND. "And we needed
to finish strong."
Added Coyotes teammate RONNIE SIMPSON, "If he doesn't score,
the whole team won't score."
Cuyamaca (8-11, 6-2) made the necessary defensive changes to
limit Jackson in the second half. Then the Coyotes pushed the
lead back into double digits as they rolled to their 5th straight
win. Southwestern (16-4, 6-2) is also in the mix after edging
Grossmont.
Jackson finished with 26 points, but his eight in the second
half failed to make a dent, allowing the Coyotes to avenge a
70-57 setback in their final appearance ever at San Diego High
School gymnasium on Jan. 7. Prior to Saturday's (Jan. 31) rematch,
SDCC athletic director Cassie Macias announced that the Knights'
new 2,000-seat facility will be ready prior to the opening of
PCC play next January.
With double-vision constantly tracking Jackson, Cuyamaca opened
the second half with a 22-11 run, expanding a narrow lead into
a 52-39 cushion that was capped by a 3-ball by PEDER MIKKELSEN.
Included in the streak were five consecutive baskets by Strayhand,
who scored 16 of his 22 points in the second half.
"We played a lot of help-side defense," noted Simpson.
"And since my man wasn't a factor, I was able to help stop
No. 11 (Jackson) and he didn't get off."
Simpson's assistance proved invaluable on the rare occasion that
a SDCC ball-handler got around his defender en route to the basket.
Included were three forced turnovers when Simpson held his ground
to take-the-charge on drives to the bucket -- once each on three
different Knights. He also rejected a Jackson shot.
The Coyotes broke open an 8-all tie with 14 consecutive points,
shooting 4-for-4 from beyond the arc while blanking City over
a 4:57 span. However, Jackson collected 18 of City's 28 first-half
points to spark the rally, despite his teammates shooting a collective
4-for-18 from the floor.
Following the intermission, the entire Knights roster then misfired
with Jackson's production now limited, hitting at a 31.4 percent
clip (11-of-35). Meanwhile, Cuyamaca drained 15-of-21 foul shots
down the stretch, including four straight by Washington, who
also hauled down 14 rebounds to go along with his 10 points.
Mikkelsen added 15 points, including four treys, while Simpson
collected 10 boards.
Cuyamaca travels to Palomar on Wednesday (Feb. 4) for a 7 p.m.
contest against the slumping Comets.
(01-31-04)
Coyotes crush first-place Southwestern
with sizzling shooting in second half
East County Sports.com
CHULA VISTA - The so-called invincible Southwestern Jaguars looked
a little more like road kill after being run over by the visiting
Cuyamaca College Coyotes 86-71 in Saturday's (Jan. 24) Pacific
Coast Conference encounter. The Coyotes shot a sizzling 68 percent
from the field in the second half to swell a 10-point halftime
bulge into a surprisingly wide margin of victory.
"Just a huge win for us," exclaimed Coyotes coach ROB
WOJTKOWSKI. "Our guys controlled the tempo and made shots
tonight."
Cuyamaca's marksmanship for the game was 54 percent (29 for 54)
- including an even more impressive 10-of-18 from 3-point range.
To top off this season's best performance, the Coyotes also howled
at the free throw line - netting 20 of 27 chances.
MIKE WASHINGTON (23 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists) and RONNIE
SIMPSON (23 points) set the offensive tone for Cuyamaca. They
were a combined 16 for 22 shooting from the field and 10 for
12 from the foul line.
Washington and PEDER MIKKELSEN each nailed a trio of 3-pointers,
while AARON STRAYHAND tossed in 14 points and topped the Coyotes
in rebounding (8) and assists (5).
When reminded that his unsung Coyotes have crept to within one
game of PCC co-leaders Southwestern 15-3, 5-1) and San Diego
City (6-10, 5-1) with eight games remaining in the conference
season, Wojtkowski said: "I'm just glad that we've been
able to win four of our last six games. I'm pleased with that."
Cuyamaca hosts district rival Grossmont Wednesday night (Jan.
24) at 7 p.m. to complete the first round of conference play.
(01-24-04)
Strayhand has steady hand at line to knock
down game-winners in overtime
East County Sports.com
EL CAJON -- Sophomore forward AARON STRAYHAND capped a standout
performance by nailing a pair of foul shots with 3.1 seconds
remaining in overtime Wednesday (Jan. 21), powering Cuyamaca
College to an 81-80 Pacific Coast Conference victory over visiting
MiraCosta.
The extra session featured four lead changes, including three
over a frantic final minute, as Strayhand converted in the clutch
to twice push the Coyotes ahead down the stretch.
"We kept our composure and concentrated on finishing strong,"
said Strayhand, who finished with game-highs of 28 points and
eight rebounds. "We knew it was going to be tough against
a good-shooting team like MiraCosta."
A week earlier, the Spartans rallied from 19 down on the road
to upend Grossmont with their outside shooting, so their 12-point,
first-half deficit paled in an attempt to repeat the feat in
East County. They tied the game 69-all when USD transfer Derek
Stockalper drove the lane for a finger-roll with 0:01 left in
regulation.
Stockalper carried the momentum into overtime, scoring three
quick points to lift the Spartans (8-7, 2-3) on top. Then MiraCosta
turned up the defensive pressure, forcing four consecutive Cuyamaca
turnovers to maintain a 78-76 lead at the 2-minute mark. But
the momentum tilted back to Cuyamaca when Strayhand finally got
his hands back on the ball.
Denied from shooting by an aggressive Spartans defense, Strayhand
finally found a crack. He then took a RICHARD HOLMES pass and
drained a 3-ball for a 79-78 lead with 52.5 seconds left.
"That was the turning point of the game," added Strayhand.
"They were really pressuring us and we were turning it over,
but we stepped up and ran the offense."
MiraCosta forward Adam Green, who matched teammate Chris Nelson
with 17 points, answered with a bucket to regain the lead with
27 seconds remaining. However, Strayhand muscled inside to grab
an offensive rebound and drew a foul to set up his game-winning
effort from the charity stripe.
Strayhand finished by converting 11-of-13 shots from the field
for Cuyamaca (5-11 overall, 3-2 PCC). The Coyotes sophomore has
scored 53 points and handed out 10 assists in his last two games.
RONNIE SIMPSON added 12 points and five rebounds for the Coyotes,
while MIKE WASHINGTON totaled 11 points and eight boards.
MiraCosta shot 52 percent from the field in the second
half, including 4-for-7 in overtime. However, Cuyamaca answered
by going 11-for-21 from 3-point range, including both attempts
in the extra session.
(01-21-04)
Strayhand, Simpson solid in leading Coyotes
to convincing win over Mesa
EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO - Given that Southwestern College looms as an overwhelming
favorite to capture the Pacific Coast Conference championship
this season, the remaining members of the eight-team circuit
are more or less playing for pride and a possible playoff berth
in the Southern California playoffs. The inconsistent Coyotes
(4-11, 2-2) turned in perhaps their strongest PCC effort Saturday
night (Jan. 17), rolling over host San Diego Mesa 81-57.
Sophomore AARON STRAYHAND powered in 25 points and logged 5 assists,
while RONNIE SIMPSON netted 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds
(8 offensive) in Cuyamaca's latest conquest.
ROBERT HOLMES chimed in with 16 points and MIKE WASHINGTON connected
for 10 points and a game-high 14 rebounds as the Coyotes howled
to their arguably their most impressive win of the shaky campaign.
"The bottom line is in our two (PCC) wins we worked hard,
and competed," Cuyamaca coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI said. "In
our two losses, we didn't do either very well."
One of the keys to Cuyamaca's romp over Mesa (2-13, 1-3) was
the Coyotes turned the ball over only 13 times.
Next up for Cuyamaca is a home date against Mira Costa on Wednesday
(Jan. 21) at 7 p.m.
(01-17-04)
Arabs outwork Coyotes on both ends to disappoint
EastCountySports.com
IMPERIAL - Cuyamaca coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI wasn't pleased by his
team's latest Pacific Coast Conference offering Wednesday night
(Jan. 14) at Imperial Valley College. Playing catch-up most of
the evening, the Coyotes eventually fell 62-55.
"We felt going in that we had a sound game plan, that we
were well-prepared for what we were going to see from IVC,"
Wojtkowski said. "But we didn't execute on defense and our
offense was up-and-down like it has been all season.
"It was a disappointing night."
The Coyotes (3-11, 1-2) remained in the hunt until the final
seconds. They trailed the Arabs 29-27 at halftime and were even
at 41-41 with a little more than 10 minutes remaining.
"Tempo-wise, we had it going our way," Wojtkowski said.
"But IVC outworked us. They did a better job of competing
than we did."
After drilling 4 of 6 shots, including a trio of 3-pointers in
the first half, Cuyamaca's RICHARD HOLMES was limited to one
shot following the intermission. He made that lone opportunity,
finishing the night with 13 points.
"I don't know if it was IVC's defense or our guys just weren't
getting the ball to him," Wojtkowski said. "Not getting
the ball to our hottest shooter of the night certainly didn't
help."
MIKE WASHINGTON (16 points, 7 rebounds) also shot well
from the floor, knocking down 6 of 10 shots for the Coyotes.
RONNIE SIMPSON added 14 points, most of it coming on 10-for-13
shooting from the foul line. He also cleared 7 rebounds. AARON
STRAYHAND logged 5 assists.
As a team, the Coyotes converted only 29 percent of 57 shots
from the field. They did manage to net 20 of 25 free throws.
Next up for Cuyamaca is a road date against San Diego Mesa Saturday
night (Jan. 17) at 7 p.m.
(01-14-04)
Coyotes gets helping hand from Strayhand's
10 assists in crushing of Palomar
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Strange as this Pacific Coast
Conference season promises to be - with a dominant favorite and
seven also-rans - the host Cuyamaca Coyotes recorded a couple
of team records Saturday (Jan. 10) as they dusted defending-co-champion
Palomar 84-65.
AARON STRAYHAND shoveled off 10 assists, tying Cuyamaca's high-water
mark shared by TIM BROWNING (2003) and CHARLIE BUTCHER (1999),
as the Coyotes (3-10, 1-1) cruised to a 43-33 halftime lead and
never looked back.
"I think our team assists total (23) is also a record for
us," Cuyamaca coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI said.
Records aside, however, the Coyotes' fifth-year head coach was
most pleased by Cuyamaca's press-break.
"Only 12 turnovers tonight," he remarked. "We
handled their press well. That, and we controlled the tempo.
Those were major factors."
Shooting 59 percent from the field (29 for 49) was pretty impressive,
too.
"A lot of that was due to the great passing we got from
our guards," Wojtkowski said.
A major beneficiary was freshman RONNIE SIMPSON. The Serra High
alum clicked on 10 of 13 shots from the field and 12 for 15 from
the foul line for a season-high 32 points. Simpson has scored
57 points in his first two PCC starts.
"Ronnie's only 6-foot-4, but he did a good job posting up
against their guys who were 6-9 and 6-10," Wojtkowski said.
"(Palomar) was switching on Ronnie and we were able to take
advantage because our guys were able to get the ball inside to
him."
Cuyamaca's PEDER MIKKELSEN canned a trio of 3-pointers in the
first five minutes of the second half to help extend the Coyotes
precarious halftime lead to as much as 19 points. Mikkelsen was
5-for-6 from beyond the arc and totaled 17 points in the game.
Strayhand added 11 points to his record passing total, while
MIKE WASHINGTON topped the Coyotes with 8 rebounds.
Next up for Cuyamaca is a trip to the desert when the Coyotes
motor to Imperial Valley on Wednesday (Jan. 14) for a 7 p.m.
contest.
(01-10-04)
Coyotes fire blanks at previously winless
City
EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO - The Cuyamaca Coyotes didn't get much offensive support
from their backcourt in Wednesday night's (Jan. 7) Pacific Coast
Conference opener against San Diego City College at the San Diego
High gym. And it cost them.
As Cuyamca's starting guards were collectively 0-for-9 - all
but one of their misses coming from 3-point range - the Knights
were using their superior speed and physical edge to lock up
their first win of the season, 70-57.
"They played inspired, we didn't," Cuyamaca coach ROB
WOJTKOWSKI said after his team fell to 2-10. "They zoned
us and we couldn't make anything from outside."
The Coyotes, who once trailed by as many as 22 points, netted
only 3 of 20 shots from 3-point range. SDCC (1-9, 1-0) nailed
seven 3-pointers.
"Our defense was affected by our lack of offense, I think,"
Wojtkowski said. "We didn't get out to defend their shots."
The bulk of Cuyamaca's scoring came from RONNIE SIMPSON (25 points)
and AARON STRAYHAND (18 points). Simpson, a 6-foot-4 freshman
forward from Serra, clicked on 8 of 12 shots from the floor and
snagged 7 rebounds.
The 6-3, 205-pound Strayhand, who was named the PCC Male Athlete
of the Week, tossed in 18 points and corralled 7 caroms. MIKE
WASHINGTON chipped in with 12 rebounds and JESSE DOUBEK (West
Hills) hauled in six rebounds for the Coyotes.
Cuyamaca hosts Palomar on Saturday night (Jan. 10) at 7.
(01-07-04)
Coyotes take Pasadena City to wire before
accepting loss
EastCountySports.com
SANTA ANA - It doesn't seem to matter who or how good Cuyamaca
College's opponent seems to be, the Coyotes always manage to
make the outcome a mystery. That was the case when the Coyotes
had 12-4 Pasadena City College pinned to the wall in Sunday's
(Dec. 28) consolation encounter at the Santa Ana Classic. The
outcome came down to a last-second shot when RICHARD HOLMES'
buzzer beater skipped off the rim, forcing the Coyotes to accept
a 63-60 loss at the hands of the heavily favored Lancers.
Pasadena broke a 4-4 tie with a 13-0 run and never trailed again.
The fact that the underdog Coyotes made the game as close as
it became was a confidence builder for coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI's
club. Pasadena is one of the Top 10 teams in Southern California,
which could only prove to the Coyotes (2-9) that they aren't
too far behind the state's pacesetters.
"To see how well we played against a quality team like Pasadena
has to be encouraging," Wojtkowski said. "Now we have
a couple of weeks to get ready for (the Pacific Coast) Conference
play."
RONNIE SIMPSON led the Coyotes with 17 points and 3 steals, while
AARON STRAYHAND tossed in 13 points and gathered in 7 rebounds.
MIKE WASHINGTON added 10 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals.
Cuyamaca opens the Pacific Coast Conference season on Wednesday,
Jan. 7 against San Diego City College at San Diego High at 7
p.m.
(12-28-03)
Coyotes lose on last-second free throws
at Santa Ana tourney
EastCountySports.com
SANTA ANA - Los Angeles Valley sank two free throws with two-tenths
of a second left Saturday (Dec. 27), as the Monarchs edged the
Cuyamaca Coyotes 69-67 in a 1st round game of the Santa Ana Tournament.
The Coyotes (2-8) were trailing the Monarchs only 27-21 when
L.A. Valley closed the opening half with an 8-0 run over the
final 1:30.
"We made some adjustments, switched defenses at halftime,"
Cuyamaca coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI said.
It proved to be sound strategy as the Coyotes sprinted into a
2-point lead. It was short-lived, however, as the Monarchs (7-7)
moved back on top by five points.
Cuyamaca clawed back to tie it 67-67 on a pair of RICHARD HOLMES
free throws with 0:07 left to play.
"After Richard hit those two free throws, we were called
for a blocking foul with less than one second to play,"
Wojtkowski said. "It was a pretty close call, but that's
the way it went."
MIKE WASHINGTON led Cuyamaca with 19 points and 10 rebounds,
while AARON STRAYHAND added 14 points and 7 boards. RONNIE SIMPSON
chipped in 12 points and 5 caroms, and Holmes finished with 4
assists and 7 points.
Cuyamaca faces the loser of Saturday's Pasadena-Saddleback game
in Sunday's (Dec. 28) elimination game at 3 p.m. at Santa Ana
College.
(12-27-03)
Waggoner comes back east to strut game
for Southwestern tournament win
East County Sports.com
EL CAJON - Former Helix High standout Will Waggoner was named the tournament most valuable player after leading Southwestern College to the championship of the Cuyamaca College, defeating the host Coyotes, 78-53, in Sunday's (Dec. 21) final.
Waggoner scored a game-high 21 points,
while adding three assists and three steals, helping the Jaguars
(10-2) pull away in the second half and claim their second tournament
of the season.
Southwestern earlier won the Grossmont College Tournament. Cuyamaca
fell to 2-7 overall as its modest two-game win streak was snapped.
"It's actually good to play a conference team early to see where we're at so we know what we have to do to make the playoffs," said Waggoner, an All-East County performer in 2000 for the Highlanders. "We forced them to make a few mistakes, then we took the ball to the basket."
Four players scored in double figures for
the Coyotes, paced by Aaron Strayhand's 12 points, earning a
berth on the all-tournament team with teammate Mike Washington.
Waggoner was joined by fellow Jag Tremayne Singletary.
(12-22-03)
Coyotes awakening to charge in own tournament
semifinals
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Following a miserable first-half performance which
saw the Coyotes score a mere 12 points, the concepts in offense
installed for a new crop of players suddenly triggered a green
light Saturday (Dec. 20). Cuyamaca returned from the locker room
at intermission and looked like a completely different team,
outscoring Cypress, 38-17, and racing to a 50-39 victory over
the Chargers in the semifinals of the annual Cuyamaca Classic.
The Coyotes advance to Sunday's (Dec. 20) championship game against
Pacific Coast Conference rival Southwestern at 3 p.m. at Cuyamaca.
The Jaguars, despite missing their first 10 shots from the foul
line, still plastered 2000 state champion Porterville, 108-84.
While several teams, including at least two in this tournament,
finding their players bickering among themselves and the coaching
staff during slow starts to the season, Cuyamaca, which opened
0-6, instead is beginning to develop a solid core which didn't
unravel after trailing by 10 points at the half.
"We all picked up the intensity and didn't fold," said
Coyotes forward AARON STRAYHAND, who scored a game-high 19 points,
including consecutive jump shots to push the Cuyamaca advantage
to 10 points in the closing minutes. "We've let little distractions
bother us before, so others say we're known for not finishing
games. But now we're putting everything together."
The Coyotes' defense actually played well throughout, but a painful-to-watch
22 percent shooting percentage, gave the team one of its lowest
one-half scoring totals ever. However, by running a disciplined
attack in the second half, Cuyamaca drained 12-of-20 shots (60
percent) to quickly overtake the Chargers (6-3).
Strayhand drove the lane for a layin, then drained a 3-point
shot to give the Coyotes their first lead at 28-27 with 11:55
remaining. The teams then traded baskets before RICHARD HOLMES
was fouled while downing a 3-ball, completing a rare 4-point
play for a 36-31 lead with 8:35 left.
"It was a momentum-changing shot," noted Holmes. "From
that point, everything went our way."
Cypress forced the ball inside to stay close, but forward MIKE
WASHINGTON would have none of it. He leaped high to reject a
Chargers drive to the basket with a resounding block, then ran
the court and drained a trey on the back end of the break, following
by another Washington jumper on the next possession for a 44-34
lead with 4:23 left.
"It was an energy-booster for everybody," added Washington,
who added 12 points and a game-best 11 rebounds.
RONNIE SIMPSON added 11 points and three assists for Cuyamaca
(2-6). Justin Burns had 13 points for Cypress, which shot just
5-for-22 from the field (22.8 percent) in the second half.
In consolation action, Victor Valley took home the trophy one
day early following its 124-93 thumping of UC San Diego JV. The
Rams were to have played the winner of the Orange Coast-South
Mountain (Ariz.) contest, but will play neither following a large-scale,
benches-clearing brawl which resulted in game officials declaring
a double forfeit, with every player receiving at least an automatic
one-game suspension.
(12-20-03)
Coyotes take down UCSD JV for first win
of year
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Peder Mikkelsen and Mike Washington each scored 25 points, as the Coyotes shot a blistering 60.5 percent from the field in the first half, Friday (Dec. 19), pasting UC San Diego JV 112-73 in the opening round of the Cuyamaca Classic tournament. It was the first victory of the season for Cuyamaca (1-6).
Mikkelsen drained 6-of-9 shots from beyond the arc for his points, while Washington muscled inside on 12-of-17 shooting to stretch the Tritons defense, in addition to grabbing a game-high 14 rebounds.
UC San Diego (0-1) stayed close at 20-all in the early going before the Coyotes went on a 16-4 scoring run, expanding the margin to 22 points by halftime, when Ronnie Simpson scored 12 of his 20 points. Simpson also passed for eight assists while committing just a single turnover.
Cuyamaca will meet Cypress College in Saturday's
(Dec. 20) semifinals, since the Chargers rallied from 8 points
down in the final 8 minutes to whip Victor Valley, 75-68. In
the other half of the draw, Southwestern (8-2) upended Phoenix's
South Mountain (7-3), 69-66, while Porterville sank Orange Coast,
78-76.
(12-19-03)
Coyotes fall to 0-6 despite 9-point halftime
edge against Santa Ana
EastCountySports.com
SANTA ANA - Another fast start, another sad finish. A familiar
scenario for the Cuyamaca College Coyotes early this season.
The Coyotes clawed to a 36-27 halftime lead again Friday night
(Dec. 5) but faltered in the second half and dropped a 73-66
decision to the Dons.
The Coyotes jumped out to a 9-0 lead and increased that margin
to 34-20 on MIKE WASHINGTON's bucket with 2:58 left in the half.
Santa Ana (3-2) took the lead for keeps 53-52 on Deandre Williams'
fast-break lay-in with 7:30 remaining.
RICHARD HOLMES scored a game-high 19 points for Cuyamaca (0-6).
RONNIE SIMPSON added 12 points and 5 assists for the Coyotes,
who also received 10 points from AARON STRAYHAND.
The Coyotes have a few days off before they host the Cuyamaca
Classic Dec. 19-21.
(12-03-03)
Coyotes lead at half, but fall to Citrus
in tourney consolation
EastCountySports.com
GLENDORA - For the second time in two days,
the Cuyamaca Coyotes played a strong first half only to falter
during the final 20 minutes in Saturday's (Nov. 29) consolation
elimination game of the Neil Edwards Classic at Citrus College.
The Coyotes (0-5) led 31-29 over Orange Coast College at halftime,
but eventually succumbed 70-54.
Cuyamaca clawed back from deficits of 12-2 and 17-7 to take the
halftime edge. The Pirates tied the game 33-33 early in the second
stanza and then embarked on a 20-5 run to put the game away.
Once again, turnovers plagued the Coyotes, who ran their two-day
tournament total to 72 with 32 miscues against Orange Coast.
"We shot the ball pretty well in the first half - 46 percent
- and committed only 12 turnovers," Cuyamaca coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI
said. It was a different story in the second half. The Coyotes
canned only 30 percent of their shots and more than doubled their
turnover total."
AARON STRAYHAND paced Cuyamaca with 13 points and 9 rebounds,
while RICHARD HOLMES netted 8 points. STEVE STEINER chipped in
with 5 assists.
Next up for Cuyamaca is a road game at Santa Ana on Friday (Dec.
4) at 5:30 p.m.
(11-29-03)
Cuyamaca loses in tourney despite 12-point
halftime lead
EastCountySports.com
GLENDORA - The young Cuyamaca Coyotes had
an upset in their paws, but couldn't hang on as they dropped
an 80-72 decision to Chaffey in Friday's (Nov. 28) opening round
of the Neil Edwards Classic at Citrus College. The Coyotes (0-4)
shot 65 percent and led by 12 points at intermission, but wilted
against the Panthers' relentless pressure defense in the waning
moments.
"They play defense like Fresno City College in that they
press you all over the court," Cuyamaca coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI
said. The Coyotes turned the ball over 40 times - 25 in the second
half."
Chaffey forged in front with five minutes remaining, but the
Coyotes, who shot 60 percent for the game, trailed by only 75-72
with 0:17 left. Cuyamaca had to foul and the Panthers made their
free throws.
"It was closer than an 8-point game," Wojtkowski said.
RONNIE SIMPSON had 27 points and AARON STRAYHAND tossed in 16
for Cuyamaca, which faces Orange Coast at 1 p.m. in Saturday's
(Nov. 29) tournament consolation round.
(11-28-03)
Lasers zap Coyotes to third-straight defeat
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - More frustration stalked the young Cuyamaca College
Coyotes Friday night (Nov. 21) as they succumbed to the visiting
Irvine Valley Lasers 69-58. AARON STRAYHAND led Cuyamaca (0-3)
with 14 points, while PEDER MIKKELSEN and RONNIE SIMPSON tossed
in 13 points apiece.
Coyotes drop pair to open season at home
tournament
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - It was a less than an auspicious beginning for Cuyamaca,
which was dealt back-to-back defeats in its season-opening Tip-Off
Tournament Friday and Saturday (Nov. 7-8) in the Coyotes den.
"We have a lot of new faces and we're still working at getting
on the same page," Cuyamaca coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI said after
the Coyotes fell to Barstow 82-60 on Friday and Imperial Valley
80-72 in Saturday's consolation final.
"I'm not one to make excuses, but we had nine days off the
court when the fires hit the area. That left us four days to
get ready for these games. That's tough on any team, even more
so on a young team like ours. We have only one semi-starter returning
and a whole bunch of guys without college experience."
Freshman RONNIE SIMPSON (Serra) netted 17 points against Barstow
and 14 against IVC. AARON STRAYHAND tallied 17 markers against
IVC, while MIKE WASHINGTON (Patrick Henry) added 16 in the loss
to the Arabs.
The Coyotes resume game action on Friday, Nov. 21 when they host
Irvine Valley at 5 p.m.
(11-8-03)
Coyotes ready to put last season's memory behind them
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON - The Cuyamaca College Coyotes
open the season Friday (Nov. 7) with
a bitter taste in their collective mouths when they host the
annual Tip-off
Tournament. The first round includes a rematch of last year's
championship
contest when the Coyotes meet Barstow College at 7 p.m. The event
opens at 5 p.
m. with Imperial Valley facing Golden West. The tournament championship
game is
Saturday (Nov. 8) at 1 p.m.
Emotions are expected to run high as several
members of the Cuyamaca squad
remember last year's disastrous final week of the regular season.
The Coyotes
were battling for both the Pacific Coast Conference title and
a state playoff
berth, only to get submarined when another PCC school turned
Cuyamaca in for
use of an ineligible player, resulting in the forfeiture of 13
victories.
Coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI's squad was forced
to forfeit 7 conference contests less
than 24 hours before the season finale. Thus the Coyotes went
from a third
place finish with a playoff berth straight to the cellar. It
was no doubt a
painful fall for the 5th-year college program, which had a possible
conference
championship and a certain playoff berth in hand before off-the-court
lightning
blew up their season.
"It's a shame that the people outside my program knew about
this (infraction)
in the fall and didn't inform us until Friday (Feb.21),"
Wojtkowski said
after learning of his team's fate. "I feel badly for my
team, especially for my
four sophomores."
Thus, Cuyamaca's season (17-14 overall,
9-5 in the PCC) was engulfed in a
snafu that left the Coyotes on the outside looking in.
The Coyotes have put that behind them.
Despite the graduation of RANDY BLAND,
the school's career rebounding leader
(560 boards) and second-highest scorer (1,046 points), Wojtkowski
hopes to
regroup and challenge in what appears to be a not-so-strong Pacific
Coast
Conference this year.
Among the Coyotes' newcomers are 6-foot-6
center CHRIS HUIE and 6-5 power
forward RICHARD BENDER. a pair of freshmen who help power Lincoln
High deep
into the CIF-San Diego Section playoffs in The duo will be pushed
by two other 6-5
forwards in JASEN HUGHES (SD-Southwest HS) and JESSE DOUBEK (West
Hills).
A pair of returning veterans solidify the
backcourt -TRAMAINE WEST (Helix)
and RICHARD HOLMES (Ramona). West is a former All-East County
award winner with 3-point shooting range, while Holmes was a
two-time, All-North County
standout, once scoring 46 points in a game.
The swing guards and small forwards feature
sophomores who can also fill the
basket in MIKE WASHINGTON (Patrick Henry) and AARON STRAYHAND
(Calvary
Temple). Washington owns a prep career best of 31 points, while
Strayhand, a
redshirt from Alabama State, averaged 25 points and 18 boards
as a high school senior.
In addition, former Mt. Carmel sharpshooter
JOHN KNIGHTS will challenge to
start at point guard. He was a finalist for Avocado League player
of the year
laurels last spring.
Cuyamaca will again have an international
flavor with former Danish Junior
National Team guard PEDER MIKKELSEN.
(11-06-03)
GROSSMONT COLLEGE
Griffins swingman Jeremy Lopez (right)
looks to swing the ball while being guarded by Aaron Strayhand
of the visiting Coyotes. (2-21-04/Photo by Nick Pellegrino).
Sophomore Stephens scores season-high 36
as Griffins' win streak reaches four
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Coach DOUG WEBER and his Grossmont College Griffins
probably are sad to see this season coming to an end. Sounds
strange for a team with a 9-16 record to feel that way. A month
ago, Grossmont was seeking closure to what has been basically
a disappointing campaign. Funny how things change - how a four-game
winning streak can spike enthusiasm.
Sophomore guard NICK STEPHENS scored a season-high 36 points
to lead Grossmont to an 86-79 Pacific Coast Conference victory
over visiting San Diego City College Wednesday night (Feb. 18).
A Bonita Vista High alum, Stephens, who was ineffective the first
half of the PCC season due to a separated shoulder, nailed 6
of 8 shots from 3-point range to help subdue the Knights.
"Nick is finally back to healthy," Weber said. "Obviously,
he makes a big difference for us."
Grossmont and SDCC (8-15, 7-6) treated the fans to a good old-fashion
run-and-gun first half, which ended even at 44-all.
"Both teams did a good job of getting up and down the court,"
said Weber, whose Griffins won two of three games from the Knights.
"In the second half, we were able to maintain control, but
City never stopped playing. It came down to us making our free
throws at the end."
Stephens hit 4 of 6 charity shots and JEREMY LOPEZ was 4-for-4
from the foul line down the stretch. Lopez finished with 17 points.
Prior to launching their current four-game winning streak, the
Griffins lost three games by an average margin of 4 points.
"We've lost three games in OT and two more on buzzer-beaters
this season," Weber noted. "That's not an excuse. It's
reality." This is a team that has been hit hard by injuries
all season.
Yet, the streaking Griffins (9-16, 6-7) have a chance to finish
the season in 3rd place if they can beat Cuyamaca in Saturday's
(Feb. 21) finale at Grossmont.
"We are playing pretty well right now, peaking at the end
of the year," Weber said. "That's a good thing. It
would probably be better if we were going to the playoffs, but
that's not the case. I'm pleased how our kids have battled all
season."
(02-18-04)
Griffins power past Palomar with punch
to win third-straight
EastCountySports.com
SAN MARCOS - Although the visiting Grossmont College Griffins
were unable to maintain their 100-point scoring average of their
previous two games, they displayed plenty of firepower as they
punched out Palomar 83-65 Saturday night (Feb. 14) in a Pacific
Coast Conference game in the Comets' Domed Arena.
"One thing about our team now is we are relatively healthy,"
Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER said. "And another thing is we've
done a good job of sharing the ball."
Sharing the ball usually results in a balanced offensive attack.
That's been the case at Grossmont of late - and the Griffins
have won three games in a row for the first time all season.
Five players reached double scoring digits as the Griffins (8-16,
5-7) went on a 20-2 first-half scoring run to gain a 38-27 halftime
lead over the Comets (7-18, 4-8). That cushion, which was inflated
as high as 20 points during the second 20-minute segment, was
enough to carry Grossmont to the victory without much difficulty.
DONALD DESHOTELS (16 points), NICK STEPHENS (15), JEREMY LOPEZ
(15), MATT EVANS (12) and ANTHONY JAVEY (11) provided the core
of Grossmont's offensive onslaught at Palomar.
Weber emptied his bench with five minutes remaining and the Griffins
riding a 66-44 lead.
"We've played pretty well in all but one of our conference
games," Weber said. "We got blown out in the first
half at San Diego City, but other than that game we've always
had a chance to win in the final minutes."
Grossmont concludes the campaign with home games against San
Diego City College (Wednesday, Feb. 18) and Cuyamaca (Saturday,
Feb. 21). Both games begin at 7 p.m.
(02-14-04)
Grossmont College's Donald Deshotels is boxed
in following his offensive rebound, but still finishes with a
layin as the Griffins whallop Imperial Valley, 88-69 Wednesday
night. photo by Nick Pellegrino
Griffins break down Imperial Valley, then
pour it on
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Three weeks ago, Imperial Valley College guard T.J.
Adams was practically unstoppable, scoring 39 points in an Arabs'
victory over Grossmont. The Griffins, who have scored 200 points
in their last two starts, slapped the clamps on Adams in Wednesday's
(Feb. 11) Pacific Coast Conference rematch.
WILLIE BAILEY, AIDIN MORADI and MATT EVANS took turns holding
down Adams in the backcourt. Meanwhile, GORDON BROWN and DONALD
DESHOTELS removed the IVC forwards from the equation, in a methodical,
systematic breakdown of the Arabs, 88-59.
The Griffins guards limited Adams to a mere 9 points, while the
superior rebounding of Brown and Deshotels left IVC without an
offensive rebound in the first half, allowing Grossmont to mount
a 47-21 lead.
"Almost all of our losses have come as a result of rebounding,
especially offensive rebounds by the other teams," explained
Brown. "We were expecting almost anything from them, but
we boxed them out and played great defense."
Imperial Valley (6-15, 5-6) was limited to just seven baskets
in the opening 20 minutes, as Grossmont (7-16, 4-7) kept boosting
its lead to 22-7, 33-14 and finally enjoying a 26-point cushion
by the intermission. A technical foul against the frustrated
IVC coaching staff during intermission, along with the resulting
free throws to open the second half, extended the Griffins' advantage
to 49-21.
"We've really played some good defense all year," noted
Grossmont assistant coach MIKE GOLOVKO. "And the first time
we played them (in a 63-53 loss), we shot the ball horribly.
But tonight, we got the ball to the post and we got to the foul
line something like 30 times."
The parade to the charity stripe also aided in rebounding, as
IVC forward Lafayette Lofton was busted with four personal fouls
in the first half, two of which resulted in 3-point plays for
Deshotels, who finished with 16 points.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the court, Adams, who scorched
Grossmont for six 3-balls in the first meeting, was limited to
two buckets all night, getting most of his points from the foul
line long after the contest was decided.
The only IVC rally was ignited by Santana High product JONATHAN
STURGILL, who scored four of his team-high 16 points during a
brief run to cut the Grossmont lead down to 16 with 10 minutes
remaining. The Griffins countered with a 15-2 run to eventually
mount a 35-point lead.
"We just didn't come ready to play," noted Sturgill,
who had family and friends in the Grossmont stands.
NICK STEPHENS paced the Griffins with 19 points. JEREMY LOPEZ
added 12 points, while Brown had 11.
Next stop for Grossmont is a trip to San Marcos where the Griffins
will take on the Palomar College Comets Saturday (Feb. 14) at
7 p.m.
(02-11-04)
Griffins go century on Mesa to separate
from basement
EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO - In what has already been a topsy-turvy season at
Grossmont College, the unpredictable Griffins added a new chapter
Saturday night (Feb. 7). And this was a "feel good"
entry in what has been an otherwise forgettable campaign. Grossmont
generated a season high scoring output en route to a 112-78 romp
over host San Diego Mesa in a Pacific Coast Conference battle
of bottom dwellers.
This was a banner night for Grossmont, which entered the Mesa
College gym averaging just 66.7 points per game. It wasn't that
the Olympians (2-19, 1-9) were faltering at the offensive end
as they nailed 8 three-pointers to Grossmont's 5.
"They just caught us on a hot night," Grossmont coach
DOUG WEBER said. "I don't have the stats right in front
of me, but we had to shoot 60 percent or better (from the floor).
This was just one of those deals where everything we did went
right."
Only four times in 22 starts have the Griffins (6-16,3-7) scored
as many as 80 points in a game.
JEREMY LOPEZ scored a season-high 27 points to pace the Griffins,
who had all 10 players reach the scoring column. Freshman GORDON
BROWN also charted a personal high of 19 points, while steady
NICK STEPHENS netted 18. Lopez canned a trio of three-pointers,
while Stephens swished two from beyond the arc.
Not to be overlooked in the Grossmont scoring parade were sophomore
center MICHAEL MAUGER, a defensive specialist who contributed
a season high 9 points, and DONALD DESHOTELS who added 8 points.
Another unsung hero in the Grossmont mix was reserve point guard
AIDIN MORADI, who churned out 10 assists for the second time
this season.
"Aidin did a great job of directing the offense," Weber
said. "He was able to get the ball to the right people at
the right time."
Next up for the Griffins is a home date with Imperial Valley
on Wednesday (Feb.11) at 7 p.m.
(02-07-04)
Javey impresses off bench, but Griffins
falter at fould line
EastCountySports.com
VISTA - Freshman ANTHONY JAVEY has seen a lot more time on the
bench than on the court for the Grossmont Griffins this season.
The 6-foot-1 guard was inserted into the lineup early in Wednesday's
(Feb. 4) Pacific Coast Conference contest at MiraCosta College.
Javey made an impact, too - hitting a trio of 3-pointers on his
way to scoring 15 points - in Grossmont's 72-67 loss to the Spartans.
"It was time to give another guy a chance, and up steps
Javey who has been there at the end of our bench," Grossmont
coach DOUG WEBER said. "He goes out there and hits three
3s, plays great defense and does a really good job for us. I'm
happy for him, because he hasn't had much opportunity to show
what he can do."
JEREMY LOPEZ (14 points) and DONALD DESHOTELS (13) also made
major contributions for Grossmont (5-16, 2-7). A put-back dunk
by Lopez gave the Griffins a 61-59 advantage with less than 3
minutes to play.
MiraCosta (12-7, 6-3) countered with a free throw by Derek Stockalper
and a 3-point bull's-eye by Adam Green to regain the lead, 63-61.
"Then, we were back to playing catch-up again," said
Weber, whose Griffins trailed 38-30 at halftime.
Eight of the final 10 MiraCosta points came from the free throw
line as any hopes of a last-second comeback never materialized
for the Griffins.
"We missed 11 free throws, and you can't do that in a two
possession game like this," Weber said.
Next up for Grossmont is a trip to San Diego Mesa on Saturday
night (Feb. 7) at 7 p.m.
(02-04-04)
Griffins just miss making things difficult
for Southwestern
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - The Grossmont Griffins narrowly missed throwing a
wrench into the Pacific Coast Conference works Saturday night
(Jan. 31). For the second time in as many meetings, the Griffins
- virtually outsiders looking in - pushed the visiting Southwestern
Jaguars to the brink before falling short 80-76. By dodging Grossmont's
upset bid, the Jaguars (16-4, 6-2) moved into a three-way tie
for first place in the PCC.
"We played just good enough to get beat," Grossmont
coach DOUG WEBER said. "We could easily have folded, but
didn't quit. We played hard all the way to the end." It
was really a two-point game as Southwestern threw the ball the
length of the floor for the final bucket with 1.4 seconds remaining.
There were two places where the Jaguars dominated the Griffins
(5-15, 2-6) - from 3-point range, hitting 8 treys to Grossmont's
4 and from the free throw line, where Southwestern canned 14
of 18 shots to the Griffins 6 of 10.
The game was knotted at 36-all at intermission.
"We made a nice push after getting down by 11, but they're
just a little better than we are," Weber said of the Jaguars,
who bumped off the Griffs 70-62 in the 1st round on Jan. 7 in
Chula Vista.
NICK STEPHENS and DONALD DESHOTELS led the Griffins' scoring
parade with 22 points apiece. Stephens fired a trio of 3-point
buckets in his count.
WILL WAGGONER tossed in 15 points - 10 in the second half for
Southwestern.
The Griffins travel to Vista to face MiraCosta on Wednesday (Feb.
4) in a 7 p.m. game.
(01-31-04)
Grossmont College forward Donald Deshotels
goes over a Cuyamaca defender for two points during the second
half of Wednesday's Pacific Coast Conference showdown, taken
by the host Coyotes, 54-51. (1-28-04/Photo by Nick Pellegrino).
Holmes puts home game-winners as Coyotes
knock off Griffins late
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Cuyamaca sophomore RICHARD HOLMES scored only four
points in Wednesday's (Jan. 28) Pacific Coast Conference crosstown
match with district rival Grossmont College. Those four markers
proved to be the difference in the game won by the hosting Coyotes,
54-51. It was a key conquest for Cuyamaca as the Coyotes, who
have suddenly won three in a row, are now tied for second place
and just one game behind San Diego City for the PCC lead. The
Coyotes (7-11, 5-2) entertain the Knights (7-10, 6-1) on Saturday
(Jan. 31) in a battle for the PCC lead at 7 p.m.
Although the Cuyamaca College backcourt struggled most of the
night, two of the Coyotes guards stepped forward to make two
important plays in the final minute of Wednesday's victory over
the visiting Griffins.
Holmes converted the go-ahead lay-up off an excellent feed from
RONNIE SIMPSON with 41 seconds remaining, then the pair teamed
for an important defensive stop on the next possession.
The patient Griffins, who opened the second half on an 11-2 run
to rally from an early 7-point deficit by milking the shot clock,
tied the game at 48-all when LARRY CHRISTIA was fouled on a lay-up,
converting the 3-point play with 1:40 to go.
Simpson answered by converting both ends of a bonus free-throw
situation with 1:27 remaining. But he wasn't through. The freshman
from Serra High drove the ball into the paint, where he dished
the ball to his right to a streaking Holmes for an easy bucket.
Simpson then blocked the shot of Grossmont's NICK STEPHENS with
less than 15 seconds to go, as Holmes grabbed the loose ball
and was fouled. Holmes made both free throws giving Cuyamaca
a 52-48 advantage with 12.8 seconds remaining.
Grossmont had one last chance after JEREMY LOPEZ drained a 3-ball
with 6.7 seconds left, cutting the Coyotes edge to 52-51.
Enter Cuyamaca's AARON STRAYHAND. The sophomore guard closed
out the victory with two additional free throws.
But the focus of the key Cuyamaca victory was on Holmes, a product
of Ramona High.
"Richard is a gunslinger and although he made some mistakes
tonight, he wasn't afraid to make plays down the stretch,"
said Cuyamaca coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI. "This was an emotional
ballgame for both teams, and Richard kept his composure and made
smart decisions for us."
Simpson led Cuyamaca with 13 points and 9 rebounds, while Strayhand
shoveled in 11 points and garnered 7 rebounds and 3 assists.
MIKE WASHINGTON, the PCC Player of the Week, collected a game-high
10 rebounds.
"I wouldn't be surprised to see them (Cuyamaca) win this
(PCC) thing," Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER said.
NICK STEPHENS led Grossmont (5-14, 2-5) with 18 points. DONALD
DESHOTELS added 13 points and Lopez logged 11 for the Griffins,
who host Southwestern on Saturday (Jan. 31) at 7 p.m.
The Jaguars (15-4, 5-2) have qualified for the Southern California
Regionals for 14 straight seasons. However, due to lack of state
funds the state playoff field has been cut in half - from 64
to 32 teams. Thus only the PCC champion is guaranteed a playoff
berth.
(01-28-04)
WILL IT FALL? -- Players battle for
position in case this shot failed to drop into the basket during
Wednesday's battle between district rivals Grossmont and Cuyamaca
community colleges. (1-28-04/Photo by Nick Pellegrino).
City rolls up 32-point halftime lead to
demolish Griffins
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - It must be hard for those outside the Pacific Coast
Conference to believe San Diego City College - a team that won
only one of 10 non-conference games - is suddenly tied with heavily
favored Southwestern for the PCC lead nearing the halfway point.
The Knights (6-10, 5-1) chewed up the Grossmont College Griffins
78-61 Saturday night (Jan. 24) at San Diego High.
It was a frustrating turnaround for the Griffins (5-13, 2-4),
who had beaten SDCC 69-67 in the consolation finals of the Glendale
Tournament on Dec. 20.
The rematch, however, in no way resembled the first encounter.
"They beat us in every category you can name, especially
in the first half," said Grossmont College coach DOUG WEBER,
whose Griffins trailed 51-19 by intermission. "We played
a a lot better in the second half, cut margin down to nine with
about 2:30 left. But we could not overcome our poor start."
NICK STEPHENS, who has missed the majority of the conference
season with a shoulder injury, scored 17 points to lead Grossmont.
The Griffins travel to Cuyamaca on Wednesday (Jan. 24) to face
their intra-district rival at 7p.m.
(01-24-04)
Griffins have it their way against Palomar
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Grossmont College scored the final 16 points of the
first half to take control of Wednesday's (Jan. 21) Pacific Coast
Conference contest against visiting Palomar, and then pulled
away in the second half for a decisive 67-43 victory.
The first-half surge enabled the Griffins to turn a 19-14 deficit
into a 30-16 halftime lead.
"We were able to do things tonight that we haven't been
able do very consistently this season," Grossmont coach
DOUG WEBER said.
Like score.
The 67 points is Grossmont's highest output in five PCC starts.
The Griffins (5-12 overall, 2-3 PCC) came into Wednesday's game
averaging just 55.3 points per conference game.
"We made some stops and then converted on the other end,"
Weber said. "We hit 6 threes and were 11-for-16 from the
free throw line. And we had 10 guys score. Those are all good
numbers for us."
LARRY CHRISTIA and DONALD DESHOTELS led the Grossmont scoring
parade with 10 points apiece.
Palomar fell to 3-15 and 0-5.
Grossmont takes on second place San Diego City Saturday night
(Jan. 24) at San Diego High. Tipoff is 7 p.m.
(01-21-04)
Arabs break from gate strong, lead entire
way against Griffins
EastCountySports.com
IMPERIAL - Host Imperial Valley darted to an 11-1 lead and never
looked back Saturday night (Jan. 17) as the Arabs dumped the
Grossmont Griffins 63-53 in a Pacific Coast Conference contest.
DONALD DESHOTELS and JEREMY LOPEZ led the Griffins with 13 and
9 points, respectively.
T.J. Adams paced IVC (5-10, 3-1) with 27 points, the majority
of which came on six 3-pointers.
"We just can't put the ball in the basket," Grossmont
coach DOUG WEBER said as his Griffins slumped to 1-3 in the conference
and 4-12 overall." It's starting to become a mental thing."
Grossmont trailed 35-21 at intermission, but closed to 45-40
with nine minutes remaining. That's as close as the Griffins
would get, however.
"They are a tough match-up for us," Weber said, noting
that the Arabs nailed 13 three-pointers.
Grossmont hosts Palomar on Wednesday (Jan. 21) at 7 p.m.
(01-17-04)
Griffins' Christina earns gold medal for
game-winning shot against Mesa
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - Rushing his dribble in his haste to drive down the
court, Grossmont College guard LARRY CHRISTINA pulled up and
sank a 3-point shot, tying Wednesday's (Jan. 14) Pacific Coast
Conference battle with San Diego Mesa. At least, he thought he
tied it.
"After the game, I told coach that I thought we were down
three points," said Christina, who nailed his second 3-ball
of the season. "What can I say?"
Call it a game-winning shot.
The Griffins were actually down by only two points after Mesa's
Antoine Washington missed the second of two foul shots with 12.4
seconds to play. So Christina's shot was the difference in a
56-55 victory over the visiting Olympians.
"After they missed the free throw, that was one of the things
we told the players," said Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER. "We
told him to drive to the basket because we were only down two
points. That's why we called a timeout."
Ah, the best laid plans?
And with Mesa defenders overplaying their man after quickly shifting
out of a zone, whatever Weber diagrammed for the final 8.7 seconds
vanished, Christina found no one to pass to, so he pushed the
ball just to the left of the top of the key and launched his
left-handed effort.
Swish.
"That's what happens when you leave it in the hands of a
left-hander," quipped Weber. "It's got to be the first
time in his life he ever made a game-winning shot."
The conversion also allowed Grossmont to avoid the embarrassment
of giving away another second-half lead. After MiraCosta rallied
from 15 down at the half to shock the Griffins last Saturday,
Mesa (2-12, 1-2 PCC) climbed from a 51-44 deficit with 3:49 remaining
to score 10 consecutive points.
Christina cut the lead to 54-53 on two foul shots with 29.1 seconds
to go, then Grossmont fouled Washington to prevent the clock
from expiring.
Christina and MATT EVANS paced Grossmont (4-11 overall, 1-2 PCC)
with 11 points each. Meanwhile, JEREMY LOPEZ scored seven of
his 10 points in the first half to gain a 23-21 lead, then made
a dramatic baseline move to a slam to give the Griffs a 47-42
lead with 6:10 left.
(01-14-04)
Griffins fall painfully short against MiraCosta
after leading by 15 at half
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - It may have been the poorest half of basketball in
MiraCosta College history since the introduction of the shot
clock in 1985-86. The Spartans mustered a mere six baskets in
the opening 20 minutes, leaving the court with just 14 points
and trailing by 15 to host Grossmont College. Then the teams
reversed roles. The Griffins were the ones who laid an egg following
intermission Saturday (Jan. 10), matching MiraCosta's first-half
derisory effort with just six buckets as the Spartans rallied
from a 19-point deficit to stun Grossmont, 58-50, in its Pacific
Coast Conference home opener.
"They came out and raised their game a level or two, while
we played the same way," disenchanted Griffins coach DOUG
WEBER said. "We stood around on defense like we already
won the game, and you just can't do that."
Escondido High alum Chris Nelson sparked the MiraCosta (7-5,
1-1) comeback by scoring 19 of his game-high 23 points in the
second half, including the go-ahead 3-point basket for a 39-38
lead with 8:25 remaining. The Griffins (3-11, 0-2) scrambled
back to gain a 46-46 tie with 4:24 left,
But up stepped Nelson, who took a feed from teammate Kris Petrovic
for a layup to garner the lead for keeps, then the pair reversed
roles for a Petrovic layin seconds later to spark a 12-4 run
to close the contest.
WILLIE BAILEY was the lone threat on offense for Grossmont, finishing
as the only player in double figures with 19 points despite 7-for-21
shooting, including making just 1 of 11 shots in the second half.
The Griffins also stumbled at the foul line (11-of-20), while
getting out-rebounded, 25-15, after the intermission.
USD transfer Derek Stockalper, sank just 2 of 10 shots and finished
with 9 points fort the Spartans.
The Griffins (3-11) are winless after a pair of conference starts
heading into Wednesday's (Jan. 14) home game with San Diego Mesa
(2-10, 1-1).
(01-11-04)
Griffins give conference favorite Southwestern
battle before turning over game in final minutes
EastCountySports.com
CHULA VISTA - It's the consensus of the eight Pacific Coast Conference
men's basketball coaches that the run for the title will be a
one horse race. That is, Southwestern is a decisive favorite
to take the crown. The Jaguars (11-2, 1-0), who posted as many
pre-conference victories as six of their seven PCC rivals combined,
struggled out of the gate Wednesday night (Jan. 7) before turning
back upset-minded Grossmont 70-62.
Helix High alum WILL WAGGONER scored a game-high 17 points to
pace the Jaguars.
"He definitely hurt us," Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER
said. "He hit two big threes - the only ones they got all
night."
Yet, the Griffins (3-10, 0-1) were tied 30-all at the half. They
fought back from a 59-53 deficit with six minutes remaining on
back-to-back buckets by WILLIE BAILEY and MATT EVANS plus a DONALD
DESHOTELS free throw. Deshotels had a chance to tie it with a
second charity but failed to connect, leaving the Jags clinging
to a 59-58 edge.
"We were right there," Weber said. "But then we
came down the floor three straight times and threw the ball away."
Then Southwestern's Brandon Glenn dropped the hammer, scoring
an old-fashion 3-point-play off a put-back for a 62-58 lead with
less than two minutes to play.
"We were playing catch up again," Weber said. "We
had to foul and they made free throws."
Game over.
Deshotels led Grossmont with 16 points while Bailey added 12.
Grossmont's offense was hit with a major setback during a consolation
Mesa Tournament game against Cypress one Dec. 28 when guard NICK
STEPHENS suffered a separated shoulder. Stephens, who owns a
PCC best 18.5 scoring average, is lost to the team indefinitely.
"We don't know when or if we'll get Nick back," Weber
said. "We've had some tough luck with our No. 2 guards.
ANDY SELLERS hurt his back before the season and hasn't played.
And, although we have him back now, Evans missed five games earlier
in the year."
Grossmont returns home Saturday night (Jan. 10) when MiraCosta
pays a visit for 7 p.m. start.
(01-07-04)
Griffins drop overtime decision to Citrus
at Mesa event
EastCountySports.com
SAN DIEGO - Working overtime has become a chore for the Grossmont
Griffins. It's also proven detrimental to their record. For the
third time this season, the Griffins extended themselves into
an extra five-minute session Saturday (Dec. 27), and came up
short, falling to Citrus 88-80 in the opening round of the San
Diego Mesa Holiday Classic.
The Griffins (3-8), who face Cypress Sunday (Dec. 28) in a noon
consolation game at Mesa College led Citrus (11-4) by a 35-30
count at halftime in the tournament opener. The Owls eventually
tied the contest at 71-all with 0:17 left in regulation.
"We both had a chance to win it there in the final seconds
of regulation," Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER said. "We
got called for a charging foul, they missed a shot, we got the
rebound and threw up a desperation shot from long range."
Overtime started out in fine fashion for Grossmont as NICK STEPHENS
stuck in a 3-pointer and then added a pair of free throws, giving
the Griffins a 76-71 advantage.
"And then we sort of stalled, didn't play very well,"
Weber admitted. "That's three overtime games and one buzzer
beater - all losses. I think it's a confidence thing for
us now. We have to do a better job of convincing our kids that
we can win in OT."
DONALD DESHOTELS paced the Griffins with 26 points, and has scored
92 in his last four starts.
Stephens added 16 points, JEREMY LOPEZ chipped in 14 and WILLIE
BAILEY tossed in 10 for Grossmont.
Chris Reaves paced Citrus with 39 points, including nine 3-pointers.
(12-27-03)
Two-game winning streak is something to
build on for Griffs
EastCountySports.com
GLENDALE - Grossmont College posted its first two-game winning
streak of the season Saturday (Dec. 20), as the Griffins edged
San Diego City College 69-67 to capture consolation championship
of the Vaquero Classic at Glendale College.
Sophomore DONALD DESHOTELS continued his scoring tear, pouring
in 27 points to earn a berth on the all-tournament team. The
6-foot-4, 210-pound product of Lincoln High pumped in 66 points
in the three-game tournament helping Grossmont raise its season
ledger to 3-7.
The Griffins jumped out to a 39-27 halftime lead and widened
their separation from the Knights to 17 points. Grossmont coach
DOUG WEBER began making wholesale substitutions and the Knights
climbed back into the game.
"We wanted to give some of our other people a chance to
play," Weber said. "But City never quits. We were up
by six points with 0:42 left. All we needed was one stop. We
played some Olé defense and then they got a steal and
a lay-up, and suddenly it's a two-point game with 0.8 of second
left. We were fortunate that the game didn't last any longer."
NICK STEPHENS scored 12 of his 14 points in the first half for
Grossmont, which also received a 9-spot from point guard LARRY
CHRISTIA.
Despite seeing his Griffins squander a large lead, Weber was
pleased with the overall effort of his squad.
"We played hard for the most part," he said. And it's
always nice to beat a conference opponent," Weber said.
(12-20-03)
Des Hotels lodges 24 and 12 as Griffins
paste Santa Ana
EastCountySports.com
GLENDALE - Grossmont sophomore DONALD DESHOTELS knocked down
24 points and cleared a dozen rebounds to lead the Griffins to
a 71-58 victory over Santa Ana Friday (Dec. 19) in the 2nd round
of the of the Vaquero Classic.
The Griffins (2-7) trailed 27-20 at the break, but turned up
the defensive pressure and offensive intensity to win going away
in the second half. The 51 points in a half is a season high
for Grossmont.
"I'm really going to be interested to see what our defensive
field goal percentage is for that second half," Grossmont
coach DOUG WEBER said. "Those last eight points they
scored came in the final 30 seconds when we were just trying
to get the game over.
"This was a good win for us. We were a very sound basketball
team in the second half."
NICK STEPHENS canned four 3-pointers on his way to finishing
with 19 points for Grossmont, which faces San Diego City College
for the tournament's consolation championship Saturday (Dec.
20) at 3 p.m.
(12-19-03)
Griffins lose to host Glendale in first
round of Vaquero Classic
EastCountySports.com
GLENDALE - NICK STEPHENS and DONALD DESHOTELS continued to supply
the Griffins with solid offensive support, but their teammates
didn't follow suite as Grossmont dropped a 70-59 decision to
host Glendale (6-3) in Wednesday's (Dec. 17) opening round of
the Vaquero Classic.
Stephens canned 20 points and DesHotels netted 15 for Grossmont
(1-7) which takes on Santa Ana (4-4) in Thursday's (Dec. 18)
consolation elimination game at 4 p.m.
(12-17-03)
Lopez lights it up for 33, but Condors
take game in overtime
EastCountySports.com
SANTA BARBARA - Sophomore JEREMY LOPEZ scored a career
high 33 points and snagged 10 rebounds, while DONALD DES HOTELS
dumped in 23 points and yanked down a dozen boards for the hard-luck
Griffins, who fell to 1-6 after Saturday's (Dec. 13) overtime
loss to Oxnard 94-86 in the consolation finals of the Santa Barbara
Classic.
The Condors (2-7) hit a disputed 3-point basket at the buzzer
of regulation, sending the game into overtime. That tied the
game at 78-all, then flying away with the victory in the five-minute
extra session.
Grossmont next enters the Glendale Tournament on Wednesday (Dec.
17) when it takes on the host Vaqueros (5-3) at 7 p.m. in the
opening round.
(12-13-03)
Griffins get first win with complete game
on both ends
EastCountySports.com
SANTA BARBARA - Grossmont College broke into the win column for
the first time Friday night (Dec. 12), knocking off Monterey
Peninsula 73-65 in the second round of the Santa Barbara Classic.
Sophomore guard NICK STEPHENS paced the Griffins (1-5) with 21
points, which included hitting 7 of 8 free throws. He also canned
two 3-pointers and dished out 3 assists.
DONALD Des HOTELS dominated the boards for the Griffins, pulling
down 13 rebounds while dumping in 14 points. He also handed out
4 assists.
"We played pretty good defense," Grossmont coach DOUG
WEBER said. "We held them to 25 points in the second half,
and they shot just 38 percent for the game."
The Griffins, meanwhile, shot 52 percent from the floor - the
third straight game that they've made more than half of their
shots.
Grossmont faces Oxnard in Saturday's (Dec. 13) tournament consolation
finals at 3 p.m.
(12-12-03)
Rams can long-distace buzzer-beater to
frustrate winless Griffins
EastCountySports.com
SANTA BARBARA - The strategy seemed sound enough. Coach DOUG
WEBER's Grossmont Griffins were hoping to force overtime Thursday
night (Dec. 11) after JEREMY LOPEZ sank two free throws to tie
Victor Valley 73-all with 14 seconds remaining in their Santa
Barbara Classic game. But somehow, the Rams defied Grossmont's
defensive plans and edged the Griffins 76-73 on Monte Willingham's
long-range 3-pointer at the buzzer.
"That was frustrating," Weber said. "We forced
the guy we wanted to shoot it to take the last shot. Then he
hits one from beyond NBA range. Earlier in the game, he banked
in a three. The second time he tried one from that range, he
missed the whole structure. He was our man."
One thing about this Willingham is he isn't afraid to shoot the
ball. He finished with 23 points for the Rams (4-3).
NICK STEPHENS led Grossmont with 22 points, while Lopez nailed
16 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Stephens, one of the state's
top 3-point shooter's, was only 2-for-3 against Victor Valley,
but sank 8 of 12 free throws.
"We shot 52 percent from the floor, including 42 percent
from 3-point range," Weber noted. "And our defense
was very good. Victor Valley is the 5th-highest scoring team
in the state (87.8 ppg), and we held them down."
The Griffins (0-5) will tackle Monterey Peninsula (2-6) in Friday's
(Dec. 12) elimination round game at 5 p.m. If successful, Grossmont
will play for the consolation championship Saturday (Dec. 13)
at 3 p.m.
(12-11-03)
Cuesta nails shots to shoot down Griffins
ECS.com
EL CAJON - NICK STEPHENS poured home 16 of his 26 points in the second half, but Grossmont College could do nothing to stop a pair of sharpshooters from Cuesta, falling to the visitors from San Luis Obispo, 87-81, in the consolation round of the 32nd annual Grossmont Invitational on Friday (12-05-03). The setback eliminated the Griffins (0-4) from the event, while the Cougars advance to Saturday's consolation finale against Barstow.
Unlike Grossmont's earlier efforts where the team fell behind early, this time, the Griffins mounted a 25-15 lead, as Stephens nailed a 3-ball from the arc, then drove down the lane fot a layin with 9:16 left in the first half. But Cuesta (2-4) had two players to respond to Grossmont's single weapon.
Mike Green scored a tournament-high 32 points, including eight treys, to move within a point, 53-52, with 14:16 to play. Then the undertaking moved to forward Jeff Kuhn, who carried the Cougars the rest of the way.
During one stretch, Kuhn put down a jump shot, took a charge on defense to force a Grossmont turnover, then nailed a 3-ball to secure a 56-54 lead with 13:42 remaining, Cuesta's first lead since Green nailed a pair of treys to open the ballgame at 6-0.
Kuhn then assisted on a Nate Dyk layin, then sank 7-of-8 foul shots in the final minutes to expand the margin to as many as 14 points. Grossmont didn't help the situation, turning the ball over 20 times, despite shooting 50 percent (31-of-62) from the floor.
JEREMY LOPEZ added 16 points for the Griffins,
while DONALD DESHOTELS added 13 points and eight rebounds.
(12-05-03)
Desert rallies to down Griffins at 32nd
GC tourney
EastCountySports.com
EL CAJON - The Grossmont Griffins attempted nearly every option
available in their playbook to break out of an offensive funk
to open the second half, but ran out of time in a late comeback.
College of the Desert rallied to beat the Griffins, 67-64, in
Thursday's (Dec. 4) opening-round of the 32nd Annual Grossmont
College Invitational.
NICK STEPHENS poured in 24 points for Grossmont, but the sophomore
guard was a mere 1-for-10 from 3-point range, including a pair
of misses in the final 9 seconds, allowing the Roadrunners to
advance to Friday's (Dec. 6) semifinals against Cypress.
Meanwhile, Grossmont falls into consolation play with a 4 p.m.
start against Cuesta, which lost 72-70 to Cypress on a tip-in
at the buzzer.
After swapping leads several times in the first half, AIDIN MORADI
nailed a three-ball to give the Griffins a 38-36 advantage at
intermission. However, Desert went on a 10-0 run to open the
second half, as Grossmont missed on 14 consecutive shots from
the floor before Stephens finally nailed a jumper with 13:26
remaining to end the slump.
"I think we tried everything, even trying plays we hadn't
tried in the first half," said Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER.
"We tried some isolations with Stephens, then we threw it
to the point where we got some good looks, but the ball just
didn't drop."
Poor foul-shooting also doomed the Griffins, making just 9-for-18
in the second half, including four misses which could have tied
the game.
With five minutes left, Grossmont once got even at 59-all on
a basket by GORDON BROWN, who scored 16 points. However, COD
guard Brandon Robinson connected on a long jumper, which bounced
high off the back-iron and swished through, then the Roadrunners
scored five more points by pushing the ball inside the paint,
using a quick 7-0 run to rebuild the margin to 66-59 with 1:16
to play.
"We still improved over the way we played a week ago,"
added Weber. "But we need to take more steps forward without
stepping back."
For the contest, Grossmont shot just 4-for-18 from beyond the
arc, while Desert maintained its lead by crashing the boards,
collecting nearly 20 offensive rebounds. COD's Julius Lang added
15 points and a game-high 13 rebounds before fouling out.
In other tournament contests, Southwestern held off Barstow,
56-54, while Saddleback secured a 94-67 verdict over the San
Diego All-Stars, a late substitute team after Compton bailed
out on short notice.
(12-05-03)
Stephens sizzles, but Griffins fizzle against Rio
EastCountySports.com
WHITTIER - Sophomore guard NICK STEPHENS was sizzling hot as
he drilled in 31 points Tuesday night (Nov. 25), but even he
couldn't rustle up a victory for the visiting Grossmont Griffins
as they succumbed to Rio Hondo 88-79. MATT EVANS added 18 markers
for the Griffins, who fell to 0-2.
(11-26-03)
Griffins may see improvements following
OT loss in opener at Barstow
BARST0W - Grossmont College coach DOUG WEBER
wasn't in the mood to do any bragging about the chances for success
his Griffins possessed this season. But Grossmont's performance
in an 80-79 overtime loss to host Barstow in Friday's (Nov. 14)
season opener was somewhat bittersweet. While the Griffins
did play well enough to win, a few questionable calls by the
officials coupled with key Grossmont miscues were enough to add
up to defeat.
After a forgettable 8-19 finish a year ago, the Griffins return
nine players - including their top three scorers - this season
and hopes are running high.
"This may be our best team," said Weber, who is beginning
his 6th year at the Grossmont helm. "We are deeper than
any of our other teams. We have more weapons than ever before."
Sophomore sharp-shooter NICK STEPHENS drilled in 23 points
to pace the Griffins at Barstow. JEREMY LOPEZ, a transfer from
Cal Baptist, added 16 points for Grossmont.
"Overall, I was really proud," Weber said. "We
were down 14 points in the second half and came fighting back.
This was a good test for us and I think we'll be pretty good."
First-game jitters were present in the Grossmont opener.
"We missed 14 free throws," Weber noted. "You
can't do that against a quality team and expect to win. But we
are way ahead of last year (an 8-19 finish). We're 10-to-11 deep,
and I think we are one of the top teams just because we have
as many returning people as we do.
"Personally, I'm more of an offensive guy, but I think we
will be one of the better defensive teams in our conference."
Weber rates Southwestern as "the team to beat," in
the Pacific Coast Conference with MiraCosta as a close second.
"I think we will be one of the top 4," Weber said.
At this time, MCC coach CLETE ADELMANN's Spartans appear
to be the foremost challenger to the Jaguars. Grossmont's talent
level suggests the Griffins should be a primary contender for
the PCC as well.
Next up for the Griffins is a road trip to Whittier on Nov. 25
where they will face Rio Hondo College. Following that junket,
the Griffins will host the 32nd Grossmont College Invitational
from Dec.4-6.
(11-13-03)
Pacific Coast Conference - SCORES
Feb 21
Cuyamaca 80, Grossmont 65
Imperial Valley 70, San Diego Mesa 67
MiraCosta 60, Palomar 45
Southwestern 72, San Diego City 66
-
Pacific Coast Conference - SCORES
Feb 18
Grossmont 86, San Diego City 79
Southwestern 82, Cuyamaca 62
MiraCosta 86, San Diego Mesa 76
Imperial Valley 71, Palomar 68
Pacific Coast Conference - SCORES
Feb 11
Grossmont 88, Imperial Valley 59
Cuyamaca 64, San Diego Mesa 63
Southwestern 72, MiraCosta 43
Palomar 82, San Diego City 74 (OT)
Pacific Coast Conference - SCORES
Feb 7
Grossmont 112, San Diego Mesa 78
Imperial Valley 65, Cuyamaca 58
MiraCosta 78, San Diego City 67
Southwestern 75, Palomar 60
-
Feb 4
MiraCosta 72, Grossmont 67
Palomar 70, Cuyamaca 62
San Diego City 97, Imperial Valley 73
Southwestern 74, San Diego Mesa 64
-
Jan 31
Cuyamaca 70, San Diego City 61
Southwestern 80, Grossmont 76
Palomar 79, San Diego Mesa 62
MiraCosta 81, Imperial Valley 67
-
Cuyamaca 54, Grossmont 51
MiraCosta 76, Palomar 63
Imperial Valley 73, San Diego Mesa 71
San Diego City 84, Southwestern 78 (OT)
Jan 24
Cuyamaca 86, Southwestern 71
San Diego City 78, Grossmont 61
Palomar 65, Imperial Valley 62
MiraCosta 80, San Diego Mesa 73
Jan 21
Cuyamaca 81, MiraCosta 80 (OT)
Grossmont 67, Palomar 43
Southwestern 66, Imperial Valley 62
San Diego City 76, San Diego Mesa 69
Jan 17
Imperial Valley 63, Grossmont 53
Cuyamaca 81, San Diego Mesa 57
Southwestern 78, MiraCosta 77
-
Jan 14
Grossmont 56, San Diego Mesa 55
MiraCosta 74, San Diego City 56
Imperial Valley 62, Cuyamaca 55
Southwestern 80, Palomar 71
-
Jan 10
Cuyamaca 84, Palomar 65
MiraCosta 58, Grossmont 50
Southwestern 91, SD Mesa 84
SD City 70, Imperial Valley 67
-
Jan 7, 2004
Southwestern 70, Grossmont 62
San Diego City 70, Cuyamaca 57
Imperial Valley 82, Mira Costa 78
San Diego Mesa 78, Palomar 75