Cuesta Men's Basketball lost to #2 Sequoias, 82-68, and dropped its second straight game in the Cougars' 52nd Hinson's Tire Pro's Tournament.  The Cougars looked strong in the opening minutes, but then the Giants got hot from outside and converted eight of their 11 three-point shots to quickly build a lead of more than 20 points.  Cuesta got back on track in the second half, with both Juani Dassie (Marcos Juarez, ARG) and Moritz Schneider (Zurich, SUI) coming off the bench score double digits, including a combined four three-pointers.  Starters Darryl Brooks II (Menemonee Falls, WI) and Reumang Emagna (Charleroi, BEL) also contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively, as the only other Cougars to reach double digits.  The loss drops Cuesta to 1-2 on the season.  

Returning Freshman Point Guard Japjit Gill (Union City, CA) was the Cougars' lone representative on the 2021 All-Hinson's Tire Pros Tournament Team.  Gill filled up the box score all weekend, while leading the Cougars in minutes played as he demonstrated his all-court game.  He scored 15 points, dished out ten assists, pulled down 13 rebounds and swiped four passes over the two-game weekend.  He was joined on the all-Hinson's Squad by Tahjae Ordonio of Gavilan, Shawn Kelly of Allan Hancock and Sequoias players Terri Miller and Conner Jackson.  Sequoias won both its games to win the tournament title.

The Cagers continue their season-opening with two more games in SLO next week. The Cougars host West Hills-Coalinga on Tuesday (6 PM) and #8 Riverside on Saturday (3 PM).  Riverside, like Sequoias, had their 2019-20 season cut short by the pandemic.  They joined the Giants as two of the final eight teams to reach the 2020 CCCAA State Championship Quarterfinals (Elite 8), when the tournament was cancelled on March 13, 2020.

2021 Hinson's Trie Pros Team

Conner Jackson, Sequoias

Terri Miller, Sequoias

Shawn Kelly, Allan Hancock

Tahjae Ordonio, Gavilan

Japjit Gill, Cuesta