MEN'S BASKETBALL GETS LASSEN FOR 2ND ROUND OF PLAYOFFS

Elk Grove, Calif. The Hawks enter the 2014 CCCAA Men's Basketball Northern California Regional playoff bracket ranked 7th.  CRC will start the bracket off in the 2nd round, facing number 10th ranked Lassen College on Friday February 28th, at 7:00 PM, at Cosumnes River College.  

CRC and Lassen have faced each other 3 times already this season.  The first match up was November 7th at SJCC in the San Jose Tip-off Tournament, Lassen would go on to win this game 97-94.  In this nail biter, Jaycob Velasco and AJ Bridges led the Hawks.  Velasco finished the game going 4-8 from the 3-point, for a total of 22 points and adding 6 rebounds.  Bridges put up a double double on the night with 10 assists and 30 points.  As a team, CRC would combine for a total of 32 rebounds, 17 assists, 11 turnovers, and shooting 21-26, 80.8%, from the line.  Lassen as a team finished the night with 37 rebounds, 11 assists, 15 turnovers, and shot 9-20, 45.0% from the 3-point line.  

Next, these two teams would face on December 13th in the 1st Annual Lassen College Classic, where Lassen would again go on to win 95-85.  Bridges and Velasco led the Hawks again in this 2nd match up between teams.  Bridges led the team in points with 26 on the night and ending with 5 assists.  Velasco was solid again from the 3-point line going 5-9 on the night, ending with 23 points, and pulling down a total of 7 rebounds.  As a team in this one the Hawks would shoot 12-13, 92.3%, from the free throw line, combining for 41 rebounds and 15 assists.  Lassen would combine for 39 rebounds and 20 assists.  

The most recent match up between these two teams was on December 28th in the 47th Chabot College Holiday Classic, CRC would go on to win this game 81-72.  This time the Hawks were led by three outstanding players; Rodney Cook, Velasco, and Bridges.  Cook put up 11 points on the night.  Velasco added 6 rebounds and 16 points.  Bridges again led the Hawks in scoring for the night, scoring a total of 18 points and adding 6 assists.  In this game, the Hawks were down 39-32 at the half.  However they came out to have a huge 2nd half outscoring Lassen 49-33.  As a team, the Hawks would shoot 16-21, 76.2%, from the free throw line, 29-58, 50.0% from the field, and combine for 29 rebounds, and 22 assists.  Lassen as a team would finish the night with 37 rebounds, 19 assists.  

The Hawks will have to keep being accurate from the free throw line as well as spread the ball around to find the best possible shot in order to win the most important meeting between these two teams.  The team that wins this match up will go on to face Fresno City College, a team with an overall record of 28-2 ranking them 2nd in the bracket.