CSM (11-3) OPENS COAST NORTH MEN’S CAGE PLAY AT CAÑADA AFTER CLOSE NEW YEAR’S EVE BATTLE WITH UNBEATEN COLUMBIA
The Coast North men’s basketball league schedule gets underway Wednesday with a friendly district rivalry when state No. 14 ranked College of San Mateo (11-3) visits Cañada College (3-10) at 7 p.m. It will be their first local clash in the spectacular new Cañada gymnasium at the Redwood City campus.
CSM (11-3) OPENS COAST NORTH MEN'S CAGE PLAY AT CAÑADA AFTER CLOSE NEW YEAR'S EVE BATTLE WITH UNBEATEN COLUMBIA
The Coast North men's basketball league schedule gets underway Wednesday with a friendly district rivalry when state No. 14 ranked College of San Mateo (11-3) visits Cañada College (3-10) at 7 p.m. It will be their first local clash in the spectacular new Cañada gymnasium at the Redwood City campus.
The Bulldogs found it no disgrace that two of their three non-league losses came from the only undefeated team among the 100 two-year college men's contingents in the state, Columbia College. The Claim Jumpers (14-0) finally took a 58-57 lead on a driving lay-up by Caleb Chiang with 12:03 remaining in their New Year's Eve battle at College Heights gym and hung on for 95-83 victory (including an uncontested dunk at the buzzer).
The score was knotted twice and San Mateo took leads four times, the last at 57-56 on a 3-pointer by JD Carson with 12:49 left in the game.
"Tonight, wasn't our night," said CSM coach Mike Marcial after the Columbia game. "But we did a lot of good things. We came off the offensive glass well." But the Bulldogs couldn't put the ball through the hoop enough down the stretch, especially from 3-point range, as the Claim Jumpers from Sonora took control.
The Bulldogs did battle to the end, however, closing to within eight points at 89-81 with 1:17 left on back-to-back baskets by Sam Manu and Desai Lopez. But that was as close as they would get.
Bobby Arenas topped all scorers with 22 points, including a trio of threes. Manu had 20 points (with a pair of threes) and Carson added 13 (three 3-pointers).
Isiah Jones led six Columbia players in double figures with 19 points.
Columbia had won an early December meeting with CSM at the Cabrillo tournament, 88-77, after which the Bulldogs ran past current Big Eight Conference leader Folsom Lake, 91-67, in the third place game. San Mateo had an excellent pre-league campaign, also beating leading teams from the Coast South (San Jose) and the Bay Valley (Merritt).
The only other loss was to state No. 10 West Valley in a crossover with the Coast South. West Valley gave top-ranked City College of San Francisco its only setback since the 2018-19 season. (The Rams were undefeated in the COVID-19 interrupted 2019-20 campaign.)
CCSF and No. 6 Las Positas both finished non-league at 13-1, making the Coast North the toughest league in the state. Chabot (8-4) and Skyline (8-6) also enter league with strong records.
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