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CARSON (5-8-08) -- Grossmont College sophomore AARON TINSLEY, who prepped at Helix High, has signed a scholarship offer from Cal State Dominguez Hills, an NCAA Division II program which plays in the California Collegiate Athletic Association.

Tinsley helped the Griffins to a second-place finish in the Pacific Coast Conference this past season, ranking among the Southland leaders in 3-point shooting with 57 triples at a 41-percent shooting clip.

Tinsley's best effort was a 10-for-13 performance against San Diego City College , finishing with a career high 38 points. Conference coaches recognized his strong play, landing a first-team berth on the All-PCC team.

"Aaron was a big part for us finishing in second place," said Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER. "Offensively, all of his numbers were up from his freshman year, and his defense improved -- he has really matured and improved his total game in the last year."

Proof of his rapidly improving work rate was his foul-shooting, making 85 percent of his free throws.

"Aaron bought into our system and worked his tail end off to get a scholarship from one of the up-and-coming D-2 schools in California ," added Weber on a Toros program which posted their best record in 12 seasons under former Compton College coach Damaine Powell, who won a pair of community college state championship while at Compton College .

Dominguez Hills will lose two starters from its 17-11 ballclub in small forward Jamaal Barnes and shooting guard Mike Steed -- both seniors. So Tinsley should fit right in and start immediately since he rotated among both positions while starting for Grossmont College .

"It's a perfect situation for Aaron -- he should be very successful in their system," added Weber.

The Toros reached the semifinals of the CCAA Tournament in their best finish since the mid-1990s.

“I’m very proud of my seniors,” Powell continues. “They built this program to where it is now, being regionally ranked the whole second half to season,. And we’ll continue to improve upon this year’s effort with recruits such as Aaron."

At Helix, Tinsley was named to the All-East County third team and All-Grossmont South League second team as a senior in the 2005-06 season.

For the Imperial Valley College Arabs, the most important part Saturday night (Feb. 23) was getting back to their winning ways.

Which they did.

The Arabs snapped their two-game losing skid and defeated visiting Cuyamaca College, 61-58, in the Pacific Coast Conference season finale.

"We got a lot of positives out of this game tonight," Arabs sophomore Brit Kelly said. "We had a much better effort out here tonight and our attitude was a lot better."

Kelly, in quite possibly his last game at the DePaoli Sports Complex, knocked down a 15-foot fade away jumper with 31 seconds left to seal the win for the Arabs.

"Originally, we set that last play up for Pete (Johnson) to seal his man but I saw the shot clock winding down and just took the shot," he said. "And I knew, taking that shot, that I didn't want to play my last game here and think, ‘I should have taken this shot or not."

After Kelly knocked down the shot, IVC ratcheted up its defense for the final half minute and didn't allow the Coyotes to get a shot off.

"I think we played much better tonight," Arabs head coach Tyson Aye said. "We controlled our attitude and our effort and usually if you can control that, winning will happen."

The Arabs stumbled in the first half, missing their first four shots, but they rebounded and tied the game 10-10 at the 12:09 mark. But Cuyamaca went into the half up 33-31.

Coming out of the locker room, the Arabs pounced on the Coyotes, making a 9-0 run in the first 2:30 to go ahead 40-33.

IVC held onto the lead until the 4:51 point, when the Coyotes' DAHIR NASSER, who finished with a game-high 22 points, knocked down a long three-pointer to regain the lead, 56-53. Nasser was 9-for-13 from the field, including 4 of 5 from long distance.

But just like in many games past, the Arabs buckled down when they needed it.

"We're still hungry and as long as we come with a little more intensity and play strong mentally in our next game we could do well in the playoffs," Kelly said.

VICTOR ASACIOVAS added 11 points and 7 rebounds for the Coyotes. GABE WESSEL chipped in with 11 points and 4 assists.

The Arabs finish the regular season with a 20-10 record overall and 14-2 in the PCC. Cuyamaca (11-17, 8-8 PCC) finishes in a 3-way tie with Southwestern and MiraCosta for fourth place, one game behind Grossmont (17-15, 9-7) and Miramar (13-15, 9-7).

Palomar College guard Dwayne Davis (4) attempts to drive around Cuyamaca freshman Martin Graham. Cuyamaca won, 93-84. (Palomar College courtesy photo)

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EL CAJON (2-21-08) -- Playing catch-up in the Pacific Coast Conference standings all season long, Cuyamaca College moved into position to gain a share of second place -- and with it a possible CCCAA playoff berth -- until an upset more than 100 miles away put those plans in a holding pattern.

While the Coyotes took care of business by whipping Palomar, 93-84, Miramar moved within a half-beat of clinching second place after PCC-leading Imperial Valley fell to the Jets, 64-62, in the Imperial Valley.

Thus, Cuyamaca must capture Saturday's (Feb. 23) regular season finale on the road against the first-place Arabs, who fell for the second straight outing after opening PCC play with 13 consecutive victories. In addition, the Coyotes need Miramar to fall at San Diego City to forge a 3-way tie for second place with Grossmont.

The Griffins, which have a bye to conclude their slate, ended the season by downing San Diego City, 68-63. No details were reported on this game.

Cuyamaca (11-16, 8-7 PCC) received a team-high 18 points from Monte Vista High product ROSHUN WYNNE, while VIKTOR ASACIOVES and DAHIR NASSER added 16 points each, as the Coyotes scored the first 12 points of the second half to mount a 23-point advantage.

The Comets ended the contest on a roll, starting Imperial Valley 's winning streak with an 83-73 decision. Palomar stayed hot in the early going, taking a 9-0 lead on Cuyamaca before the hosts stormed back to remain in playoff contention.

MARTIN GRAHAM added 14 points for the Coyotes, while Wynne ignited the offense with 10 assists and 3 steals.

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EL CAJON (2-17-08) -- Grossmont College saw a 16-point lead disappear when MiraCosta guard Desmond Jones was nails from beyond the 3-point arc Saturday (Feb.16), scoring 22 of his career-high 31 points in the second half to lift the Spartans to an 86-82 victory.

Despite the setback, the Griffins (17-14 overall, 8-7 PCC) remain a half-game behind second-place Miramar, as the Jets also lost to again place the middle of the Pacific Coast Conference standings into a mad scramble.

Grossmont led 47-31 before MiraCosta added a foul shot before the half, then Jones came out on fire after the intermission. He drained 4-out-of-5 treys, including a triple to tie the game at 57-all with 10:01 remaining.

The lead was then exchanged 7 times before Kyle Moore drove the paint for a layin while bring fouled, making the foul shot to give MiraCosta (9-18, 7-8 PCC) the lead for keeps at 78-76 with 1:39 left. The Spartans iced the triumph by Jones hitting all six of his foul shots in the final minute.

Griffins forward TYRONE PAIGE scored a career-high 22 points, taking advantage of the absence of MiraCosta center Lin Chang, who fouled out with 14:06 to go. Chang, in foul trouble all contest, finished with a paltry 2 points and 2 rebounds.

Grossmont shot 55 percent from the floor in both halves, as AARON TINSLEY scored 15 of his 21 points in the first half. DANIEL BRYANT added 13 points on 5-for-6 shooting, including three triples.

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EL CAJON (2-10-08) -- The perfect sandwich situation saw Grossmont College get consumed.

The red-hot Griffins, resting in second place and riding a 6-game winning streak heading into Wednesday’s showdown with Pacific Coast Conference leading Imperial Valley , forgot to arrive in time for Saturday’s (Feb. 9) prelude against Southwestern. The Jaguars raced to a quick 20-5 lead then survived a single sustained rally attempt to secure a 55-45 upset.

Grossmont (17-12, 8-5 PCC) remains in second, but now holds just a half-game lead over Miramar , which easily handled Cuyamaca, 66-53.

DANIEL BRYANT paced the Griffins with 12 points, including a trio of 3-point goals and a conventional 3-point play. And when AARON TINSLEY followed with a trey, Grossmont moved to within 31-27 midway through the second half.

However, Southwestern took control on two quick baskets by Chad Chambers, who hit a short jumper then scored on a putback shot, pushing the lead back to10.

While Grossmont came out of the blocks by hitting just 2-of-18 shots, Rondu Stevens scored 9 of his 11 points in the opening minutes for the quick Jaguars lead, then maintained the lead with a 43-31 rebounding advantage, including 13 boards by Brian Gilbert.

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RANCHO SAN DIEGO (2-7-08) -- In a must-win situation to remain in the hunt for a CCCAA postseason berth, ROSHUN WYNNE came off the bench to tally 14 of his team-high 16 points in the second half, lifting Cuyamaca College to a huge 96-73 decision over MiraCosta in Pacific Coast Conference action Wednesday (Feb. 6).

The contest was tied at the half, 39-all, but the Coyotes rocketed past the Spartans by a 57-34 count after the intermission, opening the second half on a 22-4 run to pack away the victory early.

DAHIR NASSER (12 points) opened the hot streak with a traditional 3-point play on a drive to the basket, then NICK TAYLOR, who matched Wynne with 16 points, nailed a long-range trey.

Meanwhile, the Cuyamaca defense shut down MiraCosta's guards, as Spartans center Lei Chang (29 points, 12 rebounds) couldn't single-handedly keep the visitors in the contest.

Six different Coyotes scored in double figures; the other included MARTIN GRAHAM (14), Nasser (12), VIKTOR ASACIOVAS (12) and GABE WESSEL (10).

Cuyamaca shot a sizzling 63 percent (17-for-27) in the second half, while the team's speed advantage forced MiraCosta (6-17 overall, 5-7 PCC) to foul, allowing the Coyotes to go to the foul line for 25 free throw (19 made).

With the victory, Cuyamaca (9-15 overall, 6-6 PCC) reached the .500 plateau in conference play and into fourth place, just a half-game behind Miramar .

Grossmont 81, Palomar 75 -- The Griffins' quest for a sixth straight victory almost fell apart after blowing a 20-point lead before regaining control for the late win at Palomar Dome.

Forward TYRONE PAIGE paced Grossmont (16-8, 8-4 PCC) with 17 points, guard AARON TINSLEY added 15, while DANIEL BRYANT and DARREN HAWKINS had 11 each,

Palomar (11-13, 5-7 PCC) saw Josh Firmes post team-highs of 15 points and 16 rebounds to key the Comets rally. However, Grossmont came back by nailing 16 of its 18 foul shots.

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EL CAJON (2-3-08) -- Grossmont College guard AARON TINSLEY owns his share of solid shooting performances of late. And whatever is driving him is getting contagious

In a pair of remarkable stretches in the second half, Tinsley ignited a variety of scoring runs to rally the Griffins to an 88-80 verdict over district rival Cuyamaca College in Saturday's (Feb. 2) Pacific Coast Conference contest at Grossmont.

Tinsley finished with 25 points and five assists, extending the Griffins' streak to five consecutive victories. Meanwhile, the Coyotes' win string ended at two, leaving the Coyotes (8-15 overall, 5-6 PCC) in a 4-way tie for fourth place, two full games behind second-place Grossmont (16-11, 7-4 PCC).

The G-House shooter did everything right in the first half by making 58 percent from the floor, but Cuyamaca led 39-38 due to 16 Grossmont turnovers. But after the ball-handling woes were addressed during the intermission, picture-perfect passing plays were the norm as Tinsley, KEVIN WOODRUFF and TYRONE PAIGE each finished with five assists.

Tinsley opened the half with a pair of layins during an 8-0 run for a 46-39 run. Cuyamaca answered, but the Griffins followed with a series of tic-tac-toe passes as Tinsley sank a tough baseline jumper in traffic to force a Coyotes timeout.

The pretty passing continued, resulting in a collection of 3-point shots.

Tinsley started the shooting wave by finding a wide-open Paige, a forward who normally scores from the paint. Yet in full rhythm, Paige buried his trey. The pair then reversed roles for a Tinsley triple moments later, followed by a 3-pointer by forward SETH KLUVER (13 points) for a 10-point lead.

For the contest, Paige finished with a career-high 17 points on 6-for-7 shooting, while DANIEL BRYANT added 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Grossmont also drained 17-of-21 foul shots to close the contest.

For Cuyamaca, NICK TAYLOR scored 15 points, but only 3 in the second half. DAHIR NASSER added 14 and GABE WESSEL had 13. However, the three guards shot a combined 10-for-35 from the floor.

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EL CAJON (1-31-08) -- The battle for second place in the Pacific Coast Conference comes to a head Saturday (Feb. 2), as two of the circuit’s hottest teams head for a collision course when Cuyamaca College travels crosstown to tangle with district rival Grossmont College.

Both ballclubs maintained their winning ways Wednesday (Jan. 30), as the Coyotes staved off Southwestern, 78-74, while the Griffins took a 67-59 road decision at San Diego Mesa.

Cuyamaca 78, South-western 74 -- Ever since the Coyotes lost an overtime decision to PCC leading Imperial Valley , the team has been on a roll.

DAHIR NASSER poured home 18 points to pace Cuyamaca to its second straight victory. It was also the Coyotes' fourth win at home in their last five outings.

Cuyamaca shot a solid 54 percent from the floor while placing five players in double-figures scoring. TIM BURCH added 12 points, while three others -- VIKTOR ASACIOVAS, MARTIN GRAHAM and NICK TAYLOR -- had 11.

Most of the offense went through guard ROSHUN WYNNE, who registered a career-high 10 assists.

Grossmont 67, San Diego Mesa 59 -- Griffins guard AARON TINSLEY scored a team-best 16 points, giving the team its fourth straight victory. Just like Cuyamaca, Grossmont's last setback came in a close contest to Imperial Valley

Grossmont hopes to avenge an 81-69 setback at Cuyamaca on Jan. 3.

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EL CAJON (1-27-08) -- On a night when the standout shooters from both teams found defenders in their face in the second half, Grossmont College forward TYRONE PAIGE was one of the few to fill in the voids, leading to a Griffins victory.

Paige scored nine of his 15 points in the second half to expand a 1-point halftme lead, while guard KEVIN WOODRUFF collected a team-high 22 points, leading Grossmont past visiting Miramar, 80-71.

The victory snapped the incredible 5-way logjam for second place in the Pacific Coast Conference, leaving the Griffins and MiraCosta as the leaders of the pack behind Imperial Valley, the runaway PCC leaders.

Grossmont's three top shooters combined to hit just 7-of-28 shots from the floor, while forward EMERY MITCHELL didn't release a single field goal attempt in the first half. Still, the Griffins held a 33-32 halftime lead.

In the second half, Miramar 's Pat Eveland -- who scored a game-high 26 points -- and LeSean Galbreth continued to get looks, but none from the 3-point arc after the Jets connected for 7 treys in the first half as Grossmont forced others to shoot the ball.

Likewise, Miramar did the same, but Paige and Mitchell (11 second-half points) answered the call. They combined to hit 9-of-13 shots after the intermission. Woodruff, who registered 6 assists, added 7 consecutive foul shots down the stretch.

Grossmont also held a 48-34 rebounding advantage, including 12 by Paige to complete his first double-double.

Note -- Grossmont learned it has collected a forfeit victory from College of the Desert after COD officials noted that an athlete who joined the basketball team following the state football playoffs was never cleared to play. Thus, the Griffins are now 14-11 overall in the decision reversal from the Dec. 1 contest.

Cuyamaca 59, San Diego City 57 -- Coyotes guard DAHIR NASSER shared scoring honors with 16 points, as Cuyamaca nipped the host Knights at Harry West Gym.

The slugfest featured 51 fouls and 74 foul shots, but neither side was blsitering on shooting its free throws. However, Cuyamaca did make five more from the stripe just enough to gain the triumph after trailing by a bucket at the half.

The new downtown arena, noted for its horrific lighting conditions, didn't aid the shooting from the field either, as both sides combined to make just 3-of-25 shots from 3-point range.

Monte Vista High product ROSHUN WYNNE added 11 points for Cuyamaca.

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EL CAJON (1-24-08) -- Cuyamaca College was one step away from accomplishing something no other Pacific Coast Conference could: defeat first-place Imperial Valley College. And the Coyotes were just one this or one that away, but couldn't close the deal.

After a missed foul shot on the front end of a one-on-one situation, Arabs scoring leader Brandon Dowdy double-clutched, then sank a 3-point goal from the corner as the buzzer sounded to force overtime, as Imperial Valley seized the momentum from the clutch shot to down Cuyamaca, 76-73.

The victory makes Imperial Valley (14-8 overall) the only school among nine to hold a winning conference record to 8-0 through the first round of conference play. Five schools -- including Grossmont -- are 4-4, while Cuyamaca fell into a 7th-place tie, yet are just a game out of second place in the tightest race since the conference began play in the early 1980s.

For Cuyamaca (6-14 overall), DAHIR NASSER finished with a game-high 25 points, while NICK TAYLOR had one of his most productive nights as a Coyote since transferring from Colo.-Colorado Springs with 14 points. In addition, GABE WESSEL netted 12 points and VIKTOR ASACIOVAS had 8.

Dowdy finished with 17 points, including four of the Arabs' 10 3-point goals, while Julian McDonald tallied 16.

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SAN MARCOS (1-22-08) -- Grossmont College basketball players EMERY MITCHELL and AARON TINSLEY were honored among the Pacific Coast Conference athletes of the week, leading the Griffins to a pair of victories.

Mitchell shared the weekly award with Southwestern's Rondu Stevens, while Tinsley, a PCC honoree in November, was listed among the honorable mention.

Mitchell, a 6-foot-7 sophomore forward from Steele Canyon High School , made 8-of-11 field goals, hauled down 11 rebounds and had eight blocks in Grossmont's 70-68 victory over MiraCosta and 90-65 win over San Diego City College.

In the first contest against MiraCosta, he had a big game defensively, blocking seven shots and holding the Spartans’ 6-9, 235-pound Lin Chang to five points. Three days later, he limited the Knights’ Arcelon Osbourne to two points.

Tinsley, a 6-2 sophomore guard from Helix High School , scored 59 points in two contests with torris shooting numbers: 15-for-24 on field goals, 8-for-10 on 3-pointers, and 21-for 24 on free throws, along with six rebounds, four assists and four steals.

He scored 21 points against MiraCosta and a career-high 38 points in the Griffins victory over San Diego City.

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EL CAJON (1-20-08) -- Grossmont College guard AARON TINSLEY shined with one of the best shooting performances in school-history, torching visiting San Diego City College for a career-best 38 points in the Griffins' 90-65 triumph over the Knights.

And with every team above Grossmont -- sans first-place Imperial Valley -- losing in Saturday's (Jan. 19) Pacific Coast Conference action, the Griffins (12-12, 4-4 PCC) catapulted from 7th to 3rd place in the tight peloton, resting a half-game behind the second-place Knights (9-11, 4-3 PCC).

Tinsley drained 10-of-13 shots from the floor, including six straight from beyond the arc, in jump-starting Grossmont to a 20-point, first-half lead.

"Aaron put on the best display I've seen in all of my time here at Grossmont," noted head coach DOUG WEBER, who is in his 9th season at the Fletcher Hills campus. "And he even took a charge for us on defense, which proved to be important, too."

The victory was Grossmont's second over SDCC by a 25-point margin this season. The Griffins also took the Knights, 85-60, in the consolation championship contest of the City College Classic back on Nov.18.

Tinsley came out firing by drilling an 16-footer in the first minute, his second shot rattled out of the rim, then he drained five straight long-range jumpers (four were triples) to firmly plant the Griffins in front at 38-20.

Four baskets in the Tinsley explosion were on passes by point guard KEVIN WOODRUFF, who collected eight assists in the first half. Meanwhile, in the middle of his shooting streak, Tinsley held position on defense to induce a charging foul.

San Diego City attempted to increase the game's tempo in the second half, but its efforts were hampered.

Just 60 seconds into the second half, game referees ruled that Knights guard Jesse LeBeau intentionally swung an elbow which hit a Grossmont player in the back of the head. Along with the intentional foul call, LeBeau was immediately ejected.

Later in the half, with City unable to trim the deficit to single digits, a frustrated SDCC head coach Mitch Charlens received consecutive technical fouls and was ejected, too. Tinsley took advantage at the foul line, eventually hitting 8-of-10 free throws down the stretch.

Even with the exploits of the former Helix High standout, other Griffins shined.

"Aaron had a great night, but look at the stat sheet," added Weber. "We still had two other guys in double figures and another with 8 -- it wasn't just a one-man show."

SETH KLUVER posted 14 points for Grossmont, DANIEL BRYANT added 12 and TYRONE PAIGE had 8.

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OCEANSIDE (1-17-08) -- Sophomore guard AARON TINSLEY poured home a game-high 24 points, at Grossmont College held off a pair of MiraCosta College rallies to nip the host Spartans, 71-68, in Wednesday’s (Jan. 16) Pacific Coast Conference ballgame.

Tinsley scored 13 of his points in the second half, helping the Griffins (record) to a 9-point lead.

MiraCosta came back to tie the game early in the second half before Tinsley sank consecutive baskets to re-establish the lead. The Spartans made one more late run, but Grossmont sank 7-of-10 foul shots in the final two minutes to win for the third time in four outings -- the lone setback was to PCC leading Imperial Valley.

Griffins head coach DOUG WEBER noted the play of center EMERY MITCHELL as being a difference maker, too.

“Emery had a phenomenal game on both ends of the court,” noted Weber. “He not only knocked down some important shots, we rebounded well and played great defense against MiraCosta’s (second) leading scorer.”

Spartans center 6-foot-9 Lin Chang was the Spartans second leading scorer, but Mitchell (along with SETH KLUVER and TRAVIS HARSKI when Mitchell was given a rest) held him to just 5 total points. Mitchell finished with a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while No.11 also went 0-for-4 from the foul line.

“All three of our big guys did a real good job on Chang,” added Weber.

TYRONE PAIGE came off the bench to post 8 points for the Griffins, while Kluver added 7 points.

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EL CAJON (1-13-08) -- Facing several physical mismatches, Grossmont College did everything it needed to accomplish defensively to stay in contact with Pacific Coast Conference-leading Imperial Valley College.

The Griffins forced 25 turnovers and kept Arabs shooters off-balance all night, including IVC scoring leader Brandon Dowdy, who only scored 14 points on 5-for-15 accuracy from the floor.

"Imperial Valley just has a deeper bench than we do," said Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER. "They can go to 10 or 11 players and not lose much when they substitute."

A pair of steals by TYRONE PAIGE led to breakaway layins to trim a 13-point Arabs lead down to single digits. Moments later, EMERY MITCHELL followed with four points during a 9-0 run to help Grossmont close the gap to 52-48 with 2:33 remaining.

However, IVC was able to crash the glass with three offensive rebounds -- they held a 42-29 advantage on the glass -- leading to a putback and four foul shots to run its PCC record to 5-0 (11-8 overall).

AARON TINSLEY paced the Griffins (10-12, 2-4) with 15 points. Paige chipped in 10 points, while point guard KEVIN WOODRUFF registered 7 assists and 3 steals. Grossmont committed only 12 turnovers, the second-best total of the season as guard-play has shown solid signs of improvement since the start of the year.

San Diego Mesa 71, Cuyamaca 62
KEARNY MESA -- If you needed to choose the night to lose, the Cuyamaca Coyotes squarely landed on it.

On a night when the second-through-fifth place teams all lost, Cuyamaca basically maintained its standing in the Pacific Coast Conference after falling on the road to Mesa , 71-62. The setback keeps the Coyotes in the upper half of the standings in a tie for fourth place, just a half-game behind second-standing San Diego City and Miramar .

Cuyamaca (6-12, 3-3 PCC) shot a paltry 18-for-51 from the field, as NICK TAYLOR (Granite Hills) came off the bench to pace all Coyotes scorers with 12 points. The only other teammate to score in double figures was DAHIR NASSER with 10.

Imperial Valley moved to 5-0 in PCC play, while all of the remaining eight schools are within two games of each other in the wild scramble to gain a wild-card postseason berth.

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RANCHO SAN DIEGO (1-10-08) -- Overcoming one of its poorest shooting efforts of the season, Cuyamaca College responded with one of its top efforts from the floor Wednesday (Jan. 9) in stopping Miramar College, 85-78.

DAHIR NASSAR led the gunners by hitting 7-of-10 shots en route to a game-high 22 points, as the Coyotes connected at a 56 percent rate (32 for 57) from the floor. The triumph elevated Cuyamaca (6-11 overall, 3-2 PCC) into a 3-way tie for second place in the Pacific Coast Conference.

GABE WESSEL added 12 points for the Coyotes, while ROGER DAVIS added 10. In addition, VIKTOR ASACIOVAS added 8 points and a team-best 10 rebounds.

Grossmont 67, Southwestern 59
CHULA VISTA (1-10-08) -- Grossmont College moved back into the Pacific Coast Conference race by overcoming a narrow halftime deficit to down host Southwestern, 67-59, to catch the pack in the middle of the Pacific Coast Conference standings with its second straight victory.

EMERY MITCHELL and AARON TINSLEY paced the Griffins (10-11, 2-3 PCC) with 13 points each, while TYRONE PAIGE added 11 points and DANIEL BRYANT had 10.

"We made our free throws and everyone applied pressure on defense," said Grossmont guard KEVIN WOODRUFF, who added 8 points. "And everyone was on the glass -- I don't think Southwestern got many second shots."

The victory moves the Griffins within one game of second place, which is shared by Cuyamaca, MiraCosta and San Diego City.

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EL CAJON (1-6-08) -- Owners of the best preseason record among all Pacific Coast Conference schools, Grossmont College knew changes were in order following a shocking 0-3 start to the conference schedule.

"We had to learn to trust each other more," noted Griffins guard AARON TINSLEY. "We just had to work hard and run the offense."

And now the team is believing in itself.

On a night when an astonishing 9 different players registered at least one assist, Tinsley was the main benefactor with a game-high 21 points Saturday (Jan. 5), pacing Grossmont past visiting Palomar College, 91-77.

"We're just playing hard and respecting each other and the coach," said Tinsley, who scored 17 points in the second half to allow the G-House to pull away. "Sure we scored some points, but playing more defense is what helped us win this game."

Moments after the Comets trimmed a 14-point deficit down to 65-59 with 7:30 remaining, Palomar's defense returned to the press, but the Griffins easily broke it by scoring on their next five possessions.

EMERY MITCHELL, who scored 6 points and grabbed a season-best 14 rebounds, made his one assist of the contest count, hitting BUAI TUT for a reverse layin.

Following a foul shot by TYRONE PAIGE, Tinsley went to work with a steal for a breakaway layin while getting fouled. His free throw built a 72-59 lead while Comets center Richard LeFleur fouled out.

"We listened to coach and perfected all of our plays and did what we had to do," noted Mitchell. "We just have to trust each other. We're a family, so we just have to put the pieces together."

Tut, who came off the bench to shoot 3-for-3 from the floor in the second half, then hit a short jumper off a KEITH TURNER pass, then Paige stole the ball and raced for a breakaway layin and a 76-59 lead to end any Palomar comeback aspirations.

KEVIN WOODRUFF scored 12 of his 14 points in the first half -- featuring a pair of conventional 3-point plays -- to lift Grossmont to a 38-32 halftime advantage. Meanwhile, SETH KLUVER (5-for-5 shooting) and DAREN HAWKINS added 11 points each to give the Griffins four players in scoring figures thanks to steady passing in search of the open shooter.

"Sometimes it's not always somebody's night, but tonight was our night," added Mitchell. "We've been losing a lot, losing 3-4 tough games, we just had to buckle it up and finish the game -- and we did that."

Meanwhile, Grossmont held Comets sharpshooter Chris Holloway in check. Although he connected for five treys among his 19 points, four came in the final minutes after Grossmont mounted its huge advantage.

In the first half, Holloway was just 1-for-6 from the field, as the Comets made just 4 of their first 21 shots to quickly trail 20-9 before finally calling a timeout. Mitchell aided the defensive effort with four blocked shots.

Grossmont next meets last-place Southwestern in Chula Vista on Wednesday (Jan. 9) at 5 p.m., then hosts first-place Imperial Valley next Saturday (Jan. 12) at 7 p.m. The Arabs took over the PCC lead after bouncing host San Diego City, the previous leader, 60-57.

MiraCosta 50, Cuyamaca 44 -- On a night when first-place San Diego City College suffered its first Pacific Coast Conference setback of the season, everyone else had a chance to move among the leaders. However, Cuyamaca saw its opportunity fall through after allowing a 26-21 halftime lead to disappear in Saturday’s (Jan. 5) defeat to Mira Costa in Oceanside .

The Coyotes (5-11 overall, 2-2 PCC) controlled the boards throughout, but failed to put the ball in the basket, shooting a mere 29 percent (19-for-65) from the floor. Included was a 3-for-18 effort from beyond the arc, then a disappointing 3-for-11 from the foul line.

DAHIR NASSER paced Cuyamaca with 11 points -- the only player to achieve double figures -- while ROSHUN WYNNE added 8 points and 5 steals. Among the forwards, VIKTOR ASACIOVAS posted 8 points and 8 rebounds, while MARTIN GRAHAM had 6 points and 12 boards.

The 44 points is the fewest in PCC play since Imperial Valley limited Miramar to 40 on Jan. 17, 2007. It's also the first sub-100-point game (both teams combined) since Grossmont nipped Southwestern, 50-47, last Feb. 3.

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RANCHO SAN DIEGO (1-4-08) -- Evey hear the saying about picking on someone your own size?

For Cuyamaca College forward AVERY PETTY, the reverse has been true.

"I knew my job was to get some boards and I really worked hard to get them," said Petty. "It turned out the offensive rebounds were the key to the game."

"Our shots haven't been going down lately, so we've been working on offensive rebounding," added Petty, a freshman who scored a game-high 17 points. "I see this team now winning the Pacific Coast -- I have really good faith in this team."

Down early 9-4 on a series of Grossmont 3-balls, including a pair by DANIEL BRYANT (9 points), Cuyamaca prevented the Griffins from getting any decent looks near the basket. On the other end, Coyotes shooters weren't having the best of luck against the Griffins, but with Petty and ROGER DAVIS (8 rebounds) hitting the glass, second-chance points came in bushels.

"We just had to play hard after playing a little sluggish --it was our first game in a while because of New Year's," said guard DAHIR NASSAR, who scored 16 points for Cuyamaca. "After we got it rolling and got the blood flowing, we made a nice little push."

Down 9-4, an 11-5 run was capped by a Petty putback for the lead, then the Coyotes continued the pressure to mount a 25-16 lead.

"Coach (ROB WOJTKOWSKI) told us to just keep it calm and run our offense," added Nasser. "We definitely played a tough non-conference schedule -- we played the No. 2 team, the No. 4 team and the No. 6 team -- a lot of big-name teams with a lot of big guys."

"So once we're in conference, the teams look a lot more like us, so we can definitely take advantage of different things."

Grossmont made a late run to trim the deficit to 71-65 with 1:32 remaining, but a couple of late turnovers prevented them from completing the comeback.

ROSHUN WYNNE added 16 points and 4 assists for Cuyamaca (5-10 overall, 2-1 PCC). Grossmont (8-11, 0-3) received 13 points from TRAVIS HARSKI, while AARON TINSLEY posted 12 points and 3 assists.

Sat., Dec. 29
San Diego Mesa Tournament
Cypress 93, Grossmont 89

Fri., Dec. 28
San Diego Mesa Tournament
Grossmont 83, East L.A. 67
Hemet Kiwanis Tournament
No. 6 Mt. San Jacinto 81, Cuyamaca 62 STORY

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EL CAJON (12-20-07) -- With key personnel missing from the Irvine Valley College lineup, Cuyamaca College gained an opportunity to upset the state's 10th-ranked Lasers but fell just short in Wednesday's (Dec. 19) 66-61 non-conference contest.

The Coyotes (3-8) led for most of the first half, holding a 36-33 halftime lead because two of Irvine Valley's front line starters were out -- one was injured while the other, embarrassingly, forgot his basketball shoes. However, Lasers guard Kasif Watson scored 15 of his game-high 18 points in the second half.

"I still liked the way our team's defense is coming along," said Coyotes coach ROB WOJTKOWSKI. "But we still gave up a few too many easy baskets, while we had to work for everything we got."

Cuyamaca guard DAHIR NASSER kept the Coyotes close down the stretch, scoring 11 of his team-best 15 points after the intermission, but IVC sank four free throws in the final minute to survive.

ROSHUN WYNNE added 10 points for Cuyamaca (4-8), while MARTIN GRAHAM added 9 points. The Coyotes return to action after the holiday in the Mt. San Jacinto Tournament in southern Riverside County, Dec. 28 and 30.

Irvine Valley is now 4-0 against Pacific Coast Conference schools this season, also holding victories over Palomar, MiraCosta and Southwestern.

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EL CAJON (12-16-07) -- Despite playing with a short bench, Grossmont College did everything right in order to claim its Pacific Coast Conference home opener. But when the newest line-up of starters began to run out of gas, San Diego Mesa grabbed the opportunity to skate past the Griffins to claim a 76-70 victory.

Despite facing some sort of press or trap the entire contest, Nakano only committed three turnovers and got the Griffins' offense into rhythm. Meanwhile, Monroe was able to beat several Olympians defenders on the dribble to get to the basket, scoring a career-high 27 points.

Monroe also limited Mesa scoring leader Kwonie Webster without a point for the opening 9 1/2 minutes, finishing with just 5 points in the first half, eventually forcing the frustrated freshman to shoot nothing but 3-point shots over the final 8 minutes.

However, Lamar Thomas scored 9 of his team-high 20 points over the final 10 minutes to grab the lead, including a 3-point goal with 2:40 remaining to give Mesa its first lead since the early going at 65-64.

Grossmont forward TYRONE PAIGE answered with a short, baseline jumper to re-take the lead with 2:21 remaining, but Webster (15 points) hit a layin with 56 seconds left, then Mesa (3-8, 1-0) hit 5-of-6 from the foul line to seal the victory.

After posting the best non-conference record of all Pacific Coast Conference schools, surprisingly, the Griffins (7-8 overall) rest in last place at 0-2. They shared the basement with Southwestern, which fell at home to Cuyamaca, 60-51.

No information was reported by Cuyamaca (3-9, 1-1).

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RANCHO SAN DIEGO (12-13-07) -- A massive Cuyamaca College rally from 14 points down over the final 3:28 was finally thwarted on 8-for-8 foul shooting by Omari Johnson in the final 44 seconds, lifting visiting San Diego City College past the Coyotes, 74-70, in Wednesday's (Dec. 12) Pacific Coast Conference opener.

Johnson, a sophomore out of Long Beach Jordan , finished with a game-high 18 points, a total matched by Cuyamaca guard DAHIR NASSER.

Knights forward Arcelon Osbourne (16 points) broke open a close contest by scoring 10 points during a 14-5 run. Included was a bucket on a lob pass from Shaun Williams, a reverse layin, then a putback after an offensive rebound for a 62-51 lead. And when Osbourne sank a 4-footer with 3:28 remaining, the lead went to 66-52.

Cuyamaca went through a 2-for-15 shooting funk earlier in the half, then couldn't miss after increasing the game's tempo in an attempt to rally.

Three straight baskets by Nassar trimmed the deficit to 8, then GABE WESSEL (15 points) sank a 3-ball to give the Coyotes a real chance with a minute to go. And when Wessel sank another 3-ball with 7.4 seconds left, the margin was just two points, but Johnson then capped his foul-shooting string with two more makes to seal it.

Cuyamaca (2-8, 0-1 PCC) held the lead throughout most of the first half, but City (4-8, 1-0) rallied back for a 36-35 halftime advantage.

MARTIN GRAHAM added 12 points for the Coyotes, while VIKTOR ASACIOVAS added 9 points and took a charge on defense.

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SANTA BARBARA (12-9-07) -- His name may be longer than the shots he takes, but not by much.

Allan Hancock College guard Samson Gebreberhane drained 10-of-19 shots from beyond the arc en route to a game-high 32 points, to slip the Bulldogs past Grossmont College, 67-66, in Saturday's (Dec. 8) consolation final of the 35th annual Santa Barbara City College Classic.

Gebreberhane, a 6-foot-6 guard from Cincinnati, was too tall and too quick for Grossmont's guards to defend, as the sophomore matched his career scoring high.

The contest was expected to be close based on recent results, as both the Griffins and Bulldogs each downed Cypress College by 6 points within the past week.

Hancock (3-6) took a 37-32 halftime lead, but Grossmont made it a contest by shooting 50 percent from the floor in the second half.

GREG MONROE paced the Griffins (7-6) with 17 points, while DANIEL BRYANT added 16 points. However, the team was without scoring leader AARON TINSLEY, who played in the first round of the event and set a personal scoring high, but has now missed two straight ballgames.

“We were right there at the edge and couldn’t get it done,” said Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER. “We had a shot to take the lead at the end, and it just didn’t go in.”

The tournament marked the return of Weber to the location of his first coaching job. While a senior at UC Santa Barbara, Weber was an assistant at nearby San Marcos High.

© East County Sports.com
SANTA BARBARA (12-8-07) -- Following a week's absence due to illness, Grossmont College guard GREG MONROE returned to the lineup and matched teammate DANIEL BRYANT with 17 points Friday (Dec. 7), rallying the Griffins past Cañada College, 61-58, at the Santa Barbara City College Invitational.

Grossmont (7-5) advance to Saturday's consolation title game against Allan Hancock College.

Monroe and Bryant combined to shoot 15-of-26 (58 percent) from the floor, as Grossmont overcame a dismal shooting performance in the first half to overcome a 15-point deficit over the game's final 10 minutes.

"We just chipped away by working the ball and getting good shots," said assistant coach CHRIS O'DOHERTY. "It took awhile to get going, but we never pressed or forced the ball, then we just started making play after play."

The Griffins also survived a frantic finish.

Following a pair of foul shots by reserve guard GAILEH OMAR, giving Grossmont a 61-56 lead with 10 seconds remaining, the Colts (2-8) drove the lane for a layin with 0:02 left, then stole the inbounds pass. However, the last-second, 3-point shot to force overtime wasn't close.

Bryant added a season-high 11 rebounds for the Griffins, while TYRONE PAIGE added 10 points. Monroe also aided the defensive effort with five steals.

© East County Sports.com
SANTA BARBARA (12-7-07) -- Grossmont College guard AARON TINSLEY recorded his second-most productive scoring effort of the season with 19 points, but the rest of the Griffins shot a composite 28 percent from the field in falling to tournament host Santa Barbara City College, 71-58, in Thursday's (Dec. 6) opening round of the Vaqueros Classic.

Tinsley (Helix High) shot 6-for-11 from the field, including a pair of 3-point shots, but the Griffins could never catch-up from a 33-27 halftime deficit.

Meanwhile, SBCC's Mark Keeten poured home a game-high 31 points, sending Grossmont (6-5) into the consolation bracket against Cañada College.

The Griffins still own the best overall record of all Pacific Coast Conference schools.

Courtesy, Santa Ana media relations
SANTA ANA (12-5-07) -- Cuyamaca College is off to a slow start with just two victories on the season, but now one of those wins has been avenged.

Santa Ana College shot 52 percent from the floor in the first half, then held off the Coyotes, 71-68, in Tuesday's (Dec.4) non-conference game at historic Cook Gymnasium. Both teams are now 2-7 for the season, with both Dons’ victories coming at home.

After leading by as many as eight points in the first half, the Dons led Cuyamaca, 37-32, at halftime, shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line. Santa Ana extended its lead to 48-39 five minutes into the second half but was unable to pull away. The Dons held the lead for the majority of the half until Cuyamaca was able to tie the game at 62-62 with less then five minutes in the game.

Cuyamaca took its first lead of the second half with 2:15 remaining at 68-66. With less than one minute left in the game Raymont Jennings buried a three pointer from the corner to put the Dons up for good at 69-66.

David Brandon (Long Beach Poly HS) led all scorers with 22 points followed by Tyre Thompson (Centennial HS) with 14 points.

VIKTOR ASACIOVAS (Christian HS) paced Cuyamaca with 15 points and 7 rebounds -- one of four Coyotes to score in double figures. The others were NICK TAYLOR (14), DAHIR NASSER (12) and GABE WESSEL (11).

Cuyamaca's next action is its Pacific Coast Conference opener at home against San Diego City on Dec. 12.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-3-07) -- Following a pair of tough contests which landed Grossmont College into the third-place game in its own tournament, the Griffins quickly found themselves buried by 10 points after a pair of 3-point plays by Cypress College.

So in his best hockey impression, head coach DOUG WEBER called for a line change.

"It wasn't that our guys weren't playing well, but we needed a spark to get going," Weber explained.

Did the change ever gain results. With at least three non-starters on the court the rest of the first half, not only did the Griffins storm back to take a 38-35 halftime lead, they also staved off a late comeback to down Cypress, 78-72.

Grossmont's AARON TINSLEY and DANIEL BRYANT each scored 15 points to land berths on the all-tournament team.

College of the Desert power forward Julius Lang captured MVP honors after leading the Roadrunners to the title of the 37th annual event, whipping Southwestern, 82-63, in the final.

Chaffey rallied from 14 points down to whip L.A. Southwest, 98-81, in the consolation final. Chaffey's Nick Turner gained an all-tournament berth, along with COD's D'Andre James and Southwestern's Harlan Jones.

Unlike Cypress, the Griffins (6-4) were able to maintain a double-digit lead. After trailing early, Grossmont took a 65-55 lead with 6:58 remaining on consecutive driving layins bysophomore point guard KEVIN WOODRUFF. The Chargers (4-6) cut the margin to 74-70 on a 3-point goal by Sean Starkey with 38.6 seconds left, but Tinsley and Woodruff each hit a pair of foul shots to clinch it.

Grossmont next plays in the Santa Barbara Tournament, meeting the host Vaqueros in Thursday's (Dec. 6) 7 p.m. opener.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-2-07) -- Grossmont College stayed with College of the Desert into the early moments of the second half, but the Roadrunners' rebounding advantage proved too much in gaining a berth to the final of the 37th annual Grossmont Tournament by pasting the host Griffins, 87-64.

Desert (5-1) will meet Southwestern in Sunday's (Dec. 2) 6 p.m. title game. The Jaguars (5-5) outlasted Cypress , 79-75. In losing, the Chargers meet Grossmont for third place at 4 p.m. The consolation game is slated for 2 p.m. between L.A. Southwest and Chaffey.

Grossmont jumped to a quick 10-1 lead as Desert made just 1 of its first 14 shots. However, many of the shots were off offensive rebounds, as the Roadrunners eventually grabbed 30 offensive caroms to dominate the inside.

Clark Ribble and Jamar Cannon led COD with 23 points and 10 boards each, while Oceanside 's D'Andre James added 11 points.

For Grossmont, AARON TINSLEY scored a game-high 25 points, but other than five assists by KEVIN WOODRUFF, the rest of the team managed just five team assists.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (12-1-07) -- Grossmont College center EMERY MITCHELL did almost nothing to help out the Griffins in Friday's (Nov. 30) opening round of the school's 37th annual tournament.

Mitchell failed to score a point, grabbed a mere three rebounds, and didn't contribute an assist.

"Yet Emery is one of the reasons we won this ballgame," said Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER. "He didn't nothing except play great defense."

Mitchell was responsible for guarding Tremayne Johnson, the versatile center for L.A. Southwest College . After Mitchell limited Johnson to a season-low 8 points, the rest of the Griffins made up for the remaining deficiencies to pace Grossmont to a surprising 81-78 decision over the Cougars.

"We told Emery he didn't need to score -- just slow down their big man," added Weber. "And he did a fantastic job."

Meanwhile, strong outside shooting -- including 8 first-half treys -- kept Grossmont in front most of the way in a game not decided until the final seconds.

After a TYRONE PAIGE layin gave the hosts a 79-78 lead with 47.9 seconds left, Mitchell did make one single play not involving Johnson. When a Cougars guard drove to the basket for the pull-up jumper, Mitchell rejected the 10-footer with a massive block with his right hand.

AARON TINSLEY then sank a pair of foul shots to cap his game-high 26-point outing to seal the triumph, 81-78. The Griffins will meet College of the Desert in Saturday's (Dec. 1) 6 p.m. semifinals.

The Desert Roadrunners overcame a 19-point deficit to nip Cuesta, 80-78. In the other half of the bracket, Cypress rallied from 18 points down to down Chaffey, 100-95, while Southwestern completed a 5-0 sweep by Pacific Coast Conference schools on the day by whipping Barstow , 68-48.

Tinsley and DAREN HAWKINS (20 points), powered the offense in the first half, combining for 31 points to take a 45-42 lead at the intermission. Most of the scoring came off passes by point guard KEVIN WOODRUFF (13 assists), who tied a school record with 11 assists in a half.

Grossmont twice took 9-point leads only to see the Cougars get even both times, but SETH KLUVER answered both times with short-range baskets to get back the lead. Kluver finished with 12 points, while Paige finished with 17.

© East County Sports.com
RIVERSIDE (11-28-07) -- Cuyamaca College put a scare into Riverside after trimming a 19-point deficit to just seven points in the final minutes, but the Tigers' advantage inside was too much to overcome, as the Coyotes fell, 77-64, in Tuesday's (Nov. 27) non-conference contest.

Bounce-back transfer NICK TAYLOR (Granite Hills/Colo.-Colorado Springs) paced Cuyamaca (2-6) with 16 points. MARTIN GRAHAM and MIKE SCOTT added 9 points each.

The Coyotes committed 21 turnovers.

Riverside center Keiran Nunley controlled the middle by grabbing 15 boards, giving the Tigers a 48-28 advantage on the boards. Anthony Dandy led all scorers with 23 points.

However, inside help is on the way for Cuyamaca (2-6), as 6-foot-7 freshman VIKTOR ASACIOVAS (Christian HS) is expected to be removed from the injury list in time for next Tuesday's (Dec. 4) ballgame at Santa Ana before the Pacific Coast Conference opener.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-25-07) -- El Camino guard Kris Lawrie shot a perfect 5-for-5 from the field during a 20-4 scoring run in the first half, leading the Warriors to a 50-28 halftime lead in whipping Grossmont College, 82-57, in Saturday's (Nov. 24) non-conference contest.

Lawrie finished with 14 points while teammate Marcellus Cullors led all scorers with 15 for El Camino (5-2).

The Griffins (4-3) held an early 6-point lead, but then made just 2-of-15 shots during the Warriors' scoring run. El Camino also held the rebounding advantage, 45-34, including 12 boards by center Chuck Gray.

No one scored in double figures for Grossmont, although the team did receive its usual balanced scoring. Center EMERY MITCHELL led the way with 9 points, while KEITH TURNER and SETH KLUVER added 8 each.

The Griffins will host their 37th annual tournament starting Thursday (Nov. 29), hosting L.A. Southwest in the 6 p.m. feature contest.

© East County Sports.com
BARSTOW (11-21-07) -- Five players reached double scoring digits to carry visiting Grossmont College to a come-from-behind 93-81 non-conference victory over the Barstow Vikings Tuesday night (Nov. 20) in the High Desert.

KEVIN WOODRUFF led the Griffins scoring parade with 20 points followed by DAREN HAWKINS (17), AARON TINSLEY (16), EMERY MITCHELL (14) and TYRONE PAIGE (11).

Barstow jumped out to an early lead and pushed its advantage to 12 points in the first half. Grossmont gradually fought back and eventually overhauled the Vikings.

"We put together a 15-2 run with about 12 minutes to go and got the lead," Grossmont assistant coach CHRIS O'DOHERTY said. Hawkins hammered down two 3-pointers and Mitchell absorbed a pair of charges during that surge.

Next up for the Griffins (4-2) is a host role in the 37th annual Grossmont College Tournament, which runs Fri.-Sun., Nov. 30-Dec. 2. The Griffins face Los Angeles Southwest in the opening round at 6 p.m.

Other first-round games in the eight-team tournament are: Cypress vs. Chaffey, 2 p.m.; Southwestern vs. Barstow, 4 p.m.; and College of the Desert vs. Cuesta, 8 p.m.

© East County Sports.com
SAN DIEGO (11-16-07) -- Sophomore guard AARON TINSLEY (Helix High) paced a balanced Grossmont College attack with 18 points Friday (Nov. 16) as the Griffins knocked off Oxnard College, 68-65, in the opening round of the San Diego College Tournament.

The Griffins took a lead three minutes into the contest and then led wire-to-wire from there.

"One of the biggest things is we took better care of the ball -- we made just 10 turnovers," Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER said. "That's fantastic considering the way we played our last game against Citrus."

Grossmont also converted 24-of-28 shots from the free throw line.

"That's another place that made a difference," Weber said. "We missed four, (the Condors) missed nine."

SETH KLUVER (Patrick Henry) added 11 points, DAREN HAWKINS (Mission Bay) chipped in with 10 and GREG MONROE (Mount Miguel) tossed in 8 for the Griffins, who improved to 2-1.

Next up for Grossmont is a rematch against Citrus in Saturday's (Nov. 17) semifinals of the SDCC Tournament at Harry West Gym. Tipoff is 5 p.m. The state-ranked Owls buried the Griffins 113-69 in an earlier meeting last week.

Cuyamaca -- The Coyotes, defending champions of the Irvine Spectrum Tournament at Irvine Valley College, were two and done following Friday's (Nov.16) consolation bracket loss.

Following Thursday's 60-48 setback to Cerritos, the Coyotes were eliminated by Santa Monica, 61-55. N game information was reported by Cuyamaca (1-3).

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-11-07) -- Three days after Grossmont College gained a nice victory over College of the Canyons, a team the Griffins have battled close yet struggled to gain victories, they returned home against a state-ranked program in Citrus College. And they got squished.

The Owls shot 61 percent from the floor, thanks mostly to transition baskets created by the press, knocking off Grossmont, 113-69, in Saturday's (Nov. 10) non-conference contest.

Every member of the Owls scored, led by a 22-point effort by guard A.J. Gasporra, who drained 8-of-12 shots, including four treys, to help mount a 61-30 halftime advantage.

"And almost every team in our conference had someone scouting us," noted Grossmont coach DOUG WEBER. "So this is something we must address or we'll see people use it against us all season."

Despite the turnover problems, there were several bright sides. The Griffins (1-1) shot a higher percentage from the field and the foul line than in the opener. The defense also stood firm at times, taking-the-charge three times to create turnovers.

AARON TINSLEY paced all Grossmont scorers with 11 points, DANIEL BRYANT added 10, while GREG MONROE posted 9 points and three steals.

Grossmont next plays in the San Diego City Tournament, opening the event with a 1 p.m. contest on Thursday (Nov. 15).

 Desert tips Cuyamaca

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-11-07) -- Cuyamaca College sophomores DAHIR NASSER and GABE WESSE each earned all-tournament berths, but the Coyotes fell in the title game of their own tip-off tournament Saturday (Nov. 10), falling to College of the Desert, 85-73.

Julius Lang scored 24 points to grab tournament MVP honors for the Roadrunners (1-1).

Weseel scored 30 points against COD, while also passing for five assists. In Friday's (Nov. 9) tournament opener, the Hilltop High grad also scored 21 points to match Nasser for team honors to lead Cuyamaca past Barstow, 100-91.

Desert's Antoine Davis also was tabbed all-tournament, along with Brit Kelly of Imperial Valley, which took the third-place contest over Barstow, 80-60.

Cuyamaca (1-1) will face Cerritos in the opening round of the Irvine Valley Tournament, which opens Friday (Nov. 15). Tip-off is at 8 p.m.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (11-8-07) -- Sophomore guard DAREN HAWKINS drained a trio of 3-point shots in the opening 12 minutes to help Grossmont College build a 17-point lead, as the Griffins opened the season with Wednesday afternoon's (Nov. 7) 72-65 verdict over visiting College of the Canyons.

Hawkins finished with a team-high 13 points for Grossmont, which displayed strong scoring balance which may help the team become a contender in the Pacific Coast Conference this season.

Freshman forward TYRONE PAIGE added 11 points, while returning center EMERY MITCHELL posted 7 points and 10 rebounds.

Canyons rallied to trim the deficit to five points in the final four minutes, as guard Brian Kimble scored 11 of his game-high 21 points, along with seven assists. However, the Griffins executed at the foul line, at one point dropping 10-of-12 free throws to clinch the victory.

Three other Griffins -- AARON TINSLEY, DANIEL BRYANT and SETH KLUVER -- added nine points each, while Mitchell and KEVIN WOODRUFF scored 7 each.

Grossmont will host state-ranked Citrus on Saturday (Nov. 10), starting at 7 p.m.

© East County Sports.com
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. (5-10-07) -- Cuyamaca College forward J.R. GRIFFIN, who was lost for the last six weeks of the season with a broken leg, still had enough game film available to earn a basketball scholarship and will play for Northeastern State (Okla.) University next season.

Griffin was part of a Coyotes team which started the season fast, capturing its first-ever 8-team tournament championship (Irvine Valley) and gaining a ranking of 12th in California, then leading the Pacific Coast Conference standings through the first round of conference play until going down with his injury.

Cuyamaca eventually bounced back and finished in second place, posting a 19-13 overall record and advancing to the COA playoffs.

Still, Griffin ranked among the conference leaders, finishing 6th in shot blocking, 8th in scoring, 10th in rebounding and 11th in field goal percentage.

Northeastern State -- the Redmen -- went 11-15 (5-7 in the Lone Star Conference) this past season, but were NCAA Division II national champions for 2002-03.

© East County Sports.com
EL CAJON (4-19-07) -- Following a successful season which culminated with a trip to the COA regional playoffs, two members of the Cuyamaca College men's basketball team have earned scholarships to four-year universities as forward CLINTON SHELTON and center RYAN SHUMAKER have signed letters of intent.

Shelton, a product of Helix High, will continue his playing career at rising NAIA power Montana State-Northern, while Shumaker, who prepped at West Hills High, will switch sports after accepting an offer in track from Southern Illinois.

"Coming to Cuyamaca was one of the best decisions I've ever made, and it got me to where I wanted to go -- the next level," said Shelton . "Cuyamaca was like a giant family, starting with the coaches and teachers, and even the janitors."

Shelton will join a Lights (yup, the "Northern Lights") program which has ranked near the top of the Frontier Conference since a change in the coaching staff five years ago, coming within one game of qualifying for the NAIA national tournament the past two seasons.

"They found me because some of our former players played for them," said Shelton, who will replace senior RONNIE SIMPSON, another ex-Coyotes standout who also made the trek to the town of Harve, Mont. "I had no idea who they were, but I looked them up and explored what they're all about."

Shelton plans on majoring in education and wants to obtain a teaching credential.

"Coach ROB (WOJTKOWSKI) is pretty excited about it (the scholarship)," added Shelton, who was a second-team All-Pacific Coast Conference selection. "I always wanted to play for a 4-year school and I made it."

Meanwhile, Shumaker first thought his future would be playing basketball in Ohio, but those plans got detoured.

"I was talking to the University of Akron, but they ran out of (scholarship) money," explained Shumaker. "Their coaches told the people of Southern Illinois about me, so the track coaches contacted me, I visited their campus, then I signed the following week."

Shumaker had been competing in track at Cuyamaca, but only after the basketball season ended. Despite limited preparation time, he placed sixth in the state in the shot put as a freshman, and was a regional qualifier in the hammer throw.

"And we start this year's conference meet next week, so I hope to be ready," added Shumaker, who specializes in the shot, hammer and discus. "I usually play basketball nine months out of the year, then try to quickly get ready for track. Skill-wise, I'm actually a better athlete for track."

Shumaker received a 3-year scholarship with the Salukis, which will give the business major a chance to earn his Master's degree from the Carbondale, Ill., campus.

Southern Illinois, an NCAA Division I program, competes in both indoor and outdoor track in the Missouri Valley Conference.