Saints men’s basketball shows strong in California tournament play

It was a confidence-boosting win for the Saints on the road Wednesday night, with their 83-51 defeat over the Sacramento City College Panthers at the Modesto JC Tournament in Modesto, Ca. The 16-team, double elimination tournament, which will run through tomorrow, presented a new challenge for the Saints, who competed in the tournament for the first time this year. “It’s a big test for us.

They play a run and gun style of basketball out here, it will be a test to see if we can continue to play,” said head coach Geoff Gibor Tuesday.

The Saints got off to a strong start, leading 37-14 at the half, and outrebounding the Panthers by 15 points, with sophomore guard Marcus Moore leading the Saints scoring with 27 game points. Still, the tournament, which pits the Saints against bigger, and more athletic teams than the teams in the NWAACCs, will not be won with ease.

The Saints victory over the Panthers, advanced them to play the Yuba 49ers Thursday at 4 p.m., (results unavailable at press time). The 49ers, who are consecutive four-time Bay Valley conference Championship winners (2006-2010) and whose roster ranges in height from 6’0-6’9, are well matched with the Saints, who are currently one of the tallest teams in the NWAACCs.

“They’re pretty good, it should be a fun game,” said Gibor Wednesday morning,

If the Saints win that game, they will play the winner of the Mendocino/Fresno game today at 6 p.m. If they lose, the Saints will play the loser of the Mendocino/Fresno game today at 4 p.m.

Over the weekend the Saints competed in the Warrior Classic in Walla Walla, Wash. The Saints, who knew going in that competition would be tough, went a respectable 1-1, splitting games. Day one saw the Saints, who are 3-2 on the season and have yet to play any teams in the Southern Region, facing traditional opponents from the Eastern region, number one seed Big Bend Vikings.

But despite their effort, the Saints struggled to make shots down the stretch, allowing the Vikings to move past them for the 68-65 victory. “We got off to a good start leading 13-3, but we went away from the ball in the post. We rebounded really well but, we didn’t shoot well,” said Gibor. Despite the loss, sophomore forward Rei Jensen led scoring for the Saints with an impressive 21 game points.

The Walla Walla Warriors, who currently hold a 4-1 record were next for the Saints on Saturday. The Saints led off strong, building a lead going into the second half, breaking away from the Warriors for the 72-59 game victory.

In recent games the Saints struggled with turnovers, but despite 16 game turnovers against the Warriors, Coach Gibor says they’re improving. “We’re doing alright, we’re committing less and less, I’d like to see that number at about 15,” said Gibor

Up next, the Saints will compete in the Centralia Crossover Tournament Dec. 16-18 in Centralia, Wash. The Saints will play Grays Harbor on the 16th at 2 p.m. Check the NWAACC website for daily results and game times.