GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) – A first half cold spell doomed the No. 9 seeded RedHawks as they fell 31-61 to No. 1 Gridley in the second round of the Northern Section CIF Division IV playoffs last Friday night at Farmer’s Hall on the Butte County Fairgrounds.
It was a painfully slow start for Colusa, who in addition to struggling with the Bulldogs’ trapping defense, saw the ball roll off the rim countless times and as a result found themselves down 6-15 at the end of the first quarter.
Into the second period the ball still refused to drop for the RedHawks, which in turn allowed Gridley to increase the pace, score in transition and hold Colusa to just nine points at the half.
While the RedHawks did thaw out somewhat in the second half, the deficit was too deep to overcome.
Playing in his final game for Colusa, Jace MacKaben scored a team-high 10 points with late-season JV call-up Benji Mata pitching in with seven points.
Despite the loss, Coach Brian Davis was pleased with his team’s effort and where the program is headed, which he feels was significant given the adversity his squad faced in terms of injuries.
“I’m beyond proud of our players and parents this season,” said Davis. “We struggled to get W’s, but we never quit and made it to the second round of the playoffs when it looked like we weren’t even going to make the cut to get in. This season was more than just about basketball. That said our future is bright. Our juniors got tons of experience this year and our JV squad got better every game. These fellas will put in the work in the offseason and shine next year.”
Prior to its loss to Gridley, the RedHawks knocked of No. 8 Anderson 41-39 on the road, although statistics from the game were not made available.