Despite a spirited effort by the RedHawks last Friday night, the Bears girls basketball team restored order in the second half to come away with a 45-31 victory in their final home game of the season.
It was a frustrating first half for Pierce as the triangle-and-two defense employed by Colusa, as well as an inability to capitalize on RedHawk turnovers, led to a low scoring half that saw the Bears holding a slim 16-14 lead after two quarters of play.
Yet, things heated up in the third period, as the RedHawks twice held brief advantages, only to see them slip away as Pierce simply wore them down.
Pacing the Bears, as she has done all season, was Jocelyn Medina, who despite a quiet first half in which she had only six points, came back to tally 19 of her game high 25 points.
Medina, only a sophomore, is relentless on both ends of the court, as she maintains her composure and works hard to get her teammates involved as well.
Her fluidity and athleticism is, to many around the county, reminiscent of Colusa great Katie Kittle, who averaged 22 points and 9.8 rebounds per game from 2005-2008, and went on to play at Westmont College.
Medinas teammates also contributed in key situations, in particular, Sierra Murphy, who hit two timely shots from three-point range to help put a wrap on the game.
For the RedHawks, who have practiced less than 10 times in this shortened season, every player on the team broke into the scoring column, but it still was not enough.
Reese Roper finished with seven points and was strong on the boards, while Holley Hickel pitched in with six points, including a three that gave Colusa one of its leads in the third quarter.
While it was the final game of the year for the RedHawks, Pierce (6-4) concluded its season on the road in Anderson yesterday.
