Griff brigade march into win column

By Nick Pellegrino
Updated: January 26, 2023

Grossmont's Jaleah Raymond / File photo by Mo Okita (CSDPhotoBooth619.smugmug.com)

2022-23 COMMUNITY COLLEGE BASKETBALL / WOMEN’S & MEN’S

ECS staff report

RANCHO SAN DIEGO — No matter how rough of a season a team might be going through, even a winless program may take satisfaction in defeating your local rival.

The most recent example: the Grossmont College women’s basketball team, which hasn’t played in three weeks due to a rash of injuries and illnesses.

However, the Griffins pushed all of their headaches aside to mount a 9-point halftime lead, then had enough energy to hold on to a 56-51 triumph over host Cuyamaca College in Wednesday’s (Jan. 25) Pacific Coast Athletic Conference shindig.

For Grossmont (1-7 overall, 1-2 PCAC), the decision ended the (slight?) possibility of a winless campaign considering all of the distractions suffered on and off the court this season.

Meanwhile, Cuyamaca (2-16, 0-7 PCAC), which ended a 64-game losing streak earlier in the year, continues to seek its first PCAC win since 2006-07 season finale — a string of 49 straight conference losses in two tenures.

The Coyotes captured the final contest of the 2006-07 season over San Diego City, 67-63, then went winless for the next three campaigns . When the school re-enlisted the sport two years ago (the first season wa cancelled due to COVID-19), however, the losing continued.

On the court

Grossmont guard Jaleah Raymond (Francis W. Parker) poured home a game-best 24 points, including 15 in the second half to stave off Cuyamaca. Raymond, a sophomore, shot a near-perfect 6-for-7 from the floor after the intermission.

Meanwhile, Paige Evans collected 13 points, including 10 in the second half, as the combo carried the rest of the tiring roster.

In the closing minutes, Cuyamaca sophomore center Tia Saunders (Steele Canyon) san short jumper from the paint with a minute remaining, trimming an 15-point, third-quarter deficit down to a single point at 50-49.

However, Raymond sank a pair of foul shots, freshman Paige Evans (West Hills) sank a basket with 30 seconds remaining, then freshman Alyssa Noland (Mountain Empire) added two additional free throws to cinch the triumph.

For Grossmont, Lexi Scott added six points, while the Griffins’ Evans and Noland each had five.

Noland was known in high school as a triple-sport performer, including the 2019-20 winter season, when the resident of Pine Valley concurrently was all-league in basketball and soccer for the RedHawks.

Scores

Grossmont College 56, Cuyamaca College 51
Palomar 79, San Diego Mesa 29
Southwestern 70, MiraCosta 60
Imperial Valley 70, San Diego City 60

Men

FOr the three eastern-most Pacific Coast Athleti Conference schoiols, it was a long night on Wednesday (Jan. 25)

Grossmont fell by 30 points against state-ranked San Diego City;
Imperial Valley allowed more than 100 points in a setback to Southwestern;
Meanwhile, Cuyamaca College did both: lost by 30 and allowed 100-plus points in a pounding from Palomar.

Enough said.

Scores

Palomar 101,Cuyamaca College 71
San Diego City 90, Grossmont College 60
Southwestern 101, Imperial Valley 84
Byes; MiraCosta, SD Miramar, SD Mesa

PCAC News

Enrique Lechuga

IMPERIAL – Imperial Valley College,which joined the Pacific Coast Athletic Conference in its second year in the 1980s, named EL Centro-Central graduate named Enrique Lechuga as its new director of athletics. Offficially, Lechuga will be A.D. amd Associate Dean of Exercise Science

READ MORE HERE in the Calexico Chronicle.