Last-gasp shot by Cosumnes River burns Modesto JC women in Big 8 opener

If ever a basketball team could have used a kindly smile from the basketball gods, it was the Modesto Junior College women.

Instead, the Pirates absorbed a slap on the cheek.

Cosumnes River’s Trina Shaner banked in a 3-point shot from the top of the key with 2.6 seconds left, and Modesto was denied a Big 8 Conference-opening win, 64-63 on Tuesday night at MJC Gym. The shocked Pirates (5-5, 0-1) ran out of time to answer, a bitter pill for a team that went winless in league last season.

“It’s hard to know how to even react to that,” MJC guard Shealyn Craven said. “It’s hard to deal with. At least we’ll see them again later.”

Luckily for Shaner, who connected on two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, the scorebook doesn’t set aside a column for style points. Nevertheless, her decisive shot caromed hard off the glass but straight through the net. It was the 12th lead change in the final 4 minutes, 43 seconds as two win-hungry teams dueled to the end.

Dayna Hansen’s layup, off a pass from Rashonne Founts, pushed Modesto in front 62-61 with 27 seconds left. Raquel Garcia added to the lead by hitting her first three throw but missed the second with 11.3 seconds to go. That tiny opening was all Cosumnes River (5-9, 1-0) needed.

After a timeout, Modesto’s switching man-to-man defense appeared to stymie the Hawks until Shaner was left wide open at the top. The Pirates, with two fouls to give, elected to let it play out.

“In the locker room, it was tough,” MJC coach Mike Girardi said. “They were way down.”

MJC will regret its 35 turnovers, most of them in the first three quarters against Cosumnes River’s trapping pressure. The Pirates solved that problem and scored 24 points in the final period as Hansen (13 points) and Founts (12) cut into MJC’s five-point deficit.

In fact, Modesto led by nine in the first half. Craven, a freshman sharpshooter, established the lead by scoring eight of her 11 points during a 90-second surge in the second quarter.

The Cosumnes River press bothered Modesto, however, and launched the visitors’ comeback. Modesto could have countered but hit only 7 of 18 free throws. Daija Ward paced the Hawks with 14 points and Jasmine Chapman had 13.

“The way we fought back, the turnovers were still the difference,” Girardi said.

Big comeback falls short – The MJC men’s seven-game losing streak will end if the Pirates follow the example of tireless freshman Jordan Thornton.

Thornton, at 6-foot-4, has been given a thankless assignment – working in the post against larger and taller opponents. He’s responded impressively in his five games since he recovered from a groin injury. His game, if not pretty, sparkles with hustle and energy.

The Pirates’ 68-60 loss to Cosumnes River saw more of the same from Thornton. He finished with 14 points and 17 rebounds as Modesto scared the Hawks by chopping a 19-point deficit to four in the final minutes.

“If you don’t have the heart to play, you shouldn’t be playing college basketball,” Thornton said. “If you don’t have the heart to play, then this is going to keep happening.”

Modesto (4-9, 0-1), winless since Nov. 13, started slowly and trailed 29-23 at halftime. Thornton and guard Jemeil King, the Pirates’ leading scorers to date, combined for only seven points in the first half.

MJC’s shots continued to clank off the rim as Cosumnes River, the two-time defending Big 8 champion, stretched its lead to 53-34 with less than seven minutes to go.

Modesto suddenly found the range behind the streaky King, a 6-5 San Francisco product. His back-to-back 3-pointers capped a 15-2 run that ended the Hawks’ dominance.

Thornton’s 3-pointer brought Modesto to within 64-60 with less than a minute left. In fact, the Pirates missed two triples as the final seconds ticked.

“We pushed the ball (late in the game) and started to rotate on defense, sticking to what the coaches tell us to do,” Thornton said.

Cosumnes River guard Leondre Lintz eventually secured the win with free throws en route to 22 points. It was surprising that Lintz departed the MJC Gym with his teammates. He loves the place. The lefty strafed opponents for 71 points as the Hawks won two games before they were beaten by Fresno in the final of the 79th MJC Tournament last month.

Cosumnes River (10-6, 1-0) also featured Robert Tolbert with 13 points, De’ Rajaee Austin with 11 and Victor Wariso with 10.

King’s late flurry gave him 18 points, barely off his scoring average. Guard Jaron Dickson, who kept Modesto within striking range in the first half, finished with 15 points. The Pirates also received a lift from reserve Sayveon Tyson.

“We showed resiliency. We talked after the game about being more consistent,” Girardi said. “Jemeil can create his shots when he gets going. It was a good comeback, but you can’t dig that big of a hole.”

This story was originally published January 4, 2017 at 12:34 AM with the headline "Last-gasp shot by Cosumnes River burns Modesto JC women in Big 8 opener."