The Santa Rosa Junior College men’s basketball team came up short against the Modesto Pirates in a 84-71 loss for their first conference loss of the season on Friday, Jan 17 in Haehl Pavilion.
Prior to Friday’s loss, No. 23 ranked SRJC and No. 9 ranked Modesto were both 15-3 overall and 6-0 in conference. Tensions were high going into Friday’s 5:30 p.m. tipoff.
SRJC managed to stay on Modesto’s heels throughout the game but they never managed to close the gap.
“Sac City was good at driving to the rim and kicking the ball out for threes similar to Modesto, but Modesto had a lot more size so that was a whole new challenge for our team to overcome,” freshman forward Jaden Washington said.
Initially, SRJC held an even footing with Modesto during the early minutes of the first half. After an excess of fouls and turnovers, the Bear Cubs fell behind.
“We had some stretches where we scored pretty well but we were unable to get closer than six because we didn’t get enough stops,” SRJC Head Coach Craig McMillan said. “Every time we would make a mini-run, they would counter with a few buckets.”
After reaching a 20-point deficit, the Bear Cubs cut back on three pointers and began driving the ball to the paint.
Despite narrowing the gap, SRJC still trailed 42-34 at the end of the first half.
Freshmen forward Vincent Jackson and guard Gavin Cook-Whisenton opened the second half with shots from downtown but Modesto responded with strong defense, putting the Bear Cubs behind.
A string of 3-pointers from Modesto in the final minutes proved to be the dagger.
This coming week will be crucial for the Bear Cubs as they prepare for the game against American River College.
“We are preparing to keep [American River] off the boards, keep them out of the paint, and guard each player according to our scouting report. We also want to execute and score within the context of our offense,” Washington said.
McMillan continues to hold a positive outlook as well.
“Our morale is high. We are only one game behind Modesto with nine games to go. We had one of our best practices of the year today.”
The Bear Cubs will travel to American River College on Tuesday, Jan, 21 at 5:30 p.m. before returning home to Haehl Pavilion on Friday, Jan. 24 at 7:30 p.m.
