Men’s basketball | CR loses first home game since 2021, then did it again in 1-2 weekend

The Coach Tregs Classic didnt go the way the College of the Redwoods mens basketball team had in mind.

The tournament got pushed back a full day because of the 7.0 earthquake on Thursday.

After Thursdays quake, it felt like the Earth was again shaking for the Corsairs, with the team losing the tournaments first two games of the Coach Tregs Classic.

The two home losses are the first two home losses since December 2021, with CR going 21-0 at home the past two seasons.

CR entered the tournament as the No.

14 team in the state according to the California Community College Mens Basketball Coaches Associations poll earlier this month, but thats now likely to drop with the back-to-back losses.

The Corsairs began the tournament with a 83-75 loss to Mendocino College, it was the third time this season that the two schools have faced off and it was the first time that the Corsairs didnt leave with a win.

CR won the first matchup 79-61 and barely won the second one 68-67 to win the Ed Boyle Invitational and Mendocino came back with an edge, coming from behind late to win 83-75.

Mendocino came with supreme toughness and were in it for the long haul competitively, Corsairs head coach Ryan Bisio said.

Credit to them for their follow-through in seeing the game out.

They were connected in their purpose.

A well-deserved victory.

Sophomore guard Mason Mottashed led CR with 18 points while sophomore forward Brandon Lucas added 14, with the Corsairs hitting nine threes in the loss.

Bisio and the Corsairs were hoping for a bounce-back performance on Saturday against Southwestern Oregon but instead CR delivered one of their worst starts imaginable, falling behind 18-1 in the first half.

I think theres trace amounts of the really bitter disappointment from last night that crept in, Bisio said on Saturday after the loss.

We just got out-coached and out-played.

We just simply didnt see it coming, the way they were going to attack us early.

CR eventually began to dust themselves off after the dreadful start, with freshman guard Marcos Rosales providing a spark off the bench for the Corsairs, with two early threes and then beating the first-half buzzer with a layup.

Im really happy for him, weve been wanting him to be more aggressive to shoot the three and hopefully tonight affirms to him that he does have that ability, Bisio said of Rosales, who finished with 19 points.

He needs to be really hunting shots when hes out on the floor.

I think it makes us more dangerous, not only just from a threat level but he changes the spacing for other people on the floor when he approaches the game that way.

The Corsairs trailed 39-29 at halftime but Rosales hot shooting carried over into the second half as he drilled two more threes to keep pace with the Lakers.

Our offensive malaise this whole weekend has been very disappointing for all of us, Bisio said.

Theres just not a shortage of issues that we need to address.

A bucket by Mottashed got CR within five points but the Lakers went on a run themselves to push the lead back to 16.

CR refused to roll over.

Freshman guard Isai Sow hit a three to bring the Corsairs back within five points with two minutes to play.

The lowest CR got the Lakers lead was three points but as soon as the Corsairs did that, the Lakers went down the court and got an and-one.

Lucas then slipped and turned the ball over for the Corsairs which would seal their fate and earn their second-straight home loss after not having one in three years, falling 75-65.

We havent shown the adaptability that this program is known for historically, Bisio said.

Ultimately, our competitive disposition has been the issue.

We can inspire, we can motivate them but ultimately its a players game and they have to play with the requisite focus and toughness and simply more passion than weve exhibited this weekend.

CR didnt leave the weekend without a win, beating Simpson Universitys JV team 98-59 on Sunday to close out the tournament at 1-2, dropping CR to 8-3 on the season.

The road doesnt get any easier for the Corsairs, with the No.

1 team in the state, San Francisco City, coming to town on Friday.

Dylan McNeill can be reached at 707-441-0526..

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