Turnovers costly in Mustangs loss

By MOHAMMAD NAJIMI

Staff Writer

The Los Medanos Mustangs women’s basketball team battled in a conference game against Napa Valley College where they suffered a 90-78 defeat. They currently have an overall record of 10-12 for the season.

The team loss is primarily due to the abundant number of turnovers committed throughout the game. It was the careless mistakes that occurred that gave the opponent more chances at having a bigger lead on the women’s team. Even with the mistakes, they did have a lead going into halftime, but ultimately lost the game.

The game went on and both teams were committing the same number of turnovers, but it was Napa who took advantage of those turnovers to get more second chance points. As the game went on, the score stayed close throughout. It was Napa, however, that took the lead after the half and kept it at the end.

With nine minutes left in the second quarter, the Napa coach received a technical foul due to screaming at the referee for an extended amount of time which frustrated the referee. After the call, the coach wasn’t as animated as he was before the technical. lead. A single by Kris Leffle scored Ryan Pierce tying the game at 1-1. Colton Trudeau was on first and attempted to steal second base, but the throw from Cabrillo’s catcher went into center field. Michael Weber trotted home from third and the Mustangs took a 2-1 lead.

There was another altercation between the coach and referee about a player being subbed out of the game.

There was another technical foul called on a Napa player for taunting an opponent. This technical foul was called by the same referee that called it on the coach.

The entire game wasn’t fun to watch from the stands as a conference rival defeated the home team when mistakes were being made by both teams. It was the back and forth exchanges that showed the weaknesses from both teams.

After his shaky first inning, Gamboa settled into a groove giving up only one run over four innings while striking out three batters. The offense gave him a nice cushion during his outing and when he was relieved in the fifth inning for Jack Saylor, the Mustangs had parted a 4-1 lead due in part to RBI singles from Bubba Rocha and Trudeau.

The top of the sixth saw Saylor get into a scare as he loaded the bases with two outs. He walked in a run to make the score 4-2 but that was all Saylor would give up as the next batter grounded out to shortstop

It didn’t shine either time in the proudest way for the coaches.

This game showed many reasons to change the scheme of how the basketball team plays and fast. The offense wasn’t being run by the guards, the players were all on their own, and the defense was sporadic from good and bad.

No play-calling was being made, it looked as though they were just trying to stand at a spot and wait for the ball to come to them. There wasn’t any intention to create plays for other teammates. Most of the game went on without teamwork and more isolation

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Trudeau to get out of the jam.

The Mustangs looked to respond in the bottom half of the inning as Weber and Leffle got on base to start the inning. Trudeau also got on base safely due to an error by Cabrillo’s first baseman, loading the bases. Weber scored when Rocco Borrelli hit into a fielder’s choice and Leffle scored on a wild pitch from the Seahawks’ pitcher to grow the Mustang lead to 6-2.

The Mustangs held a 7-2 lead going into the last inning after Khamani Blakney knocked in Leffle on an RBI single. Dominic Cesario came on to pitch in the ninth inning and was able to work through an RBI triple to secure the Mustang’s 7-3 victory at home over the Cabrillo Seahawks.

The Mustangs next home game is a two-game series against Fresno City College Friday Feb. 3 at 2 p.m and Saturday Feb. 4 at 1 p.m.