Good start not enough – Delta hands Modesto JC men 12th straight loss

Shoulders slumped and heads hung during portions of the second half Friday night as the Modesto Junior College Pirates fast-tracked toward another loss.

Finding energy sometimes is problematic for a team that has dropped 12 straight and hasn’t celebrated a victory since Nov. 13. It didn’t get any easier for the Pirates, who lost to San Joaquin Delta 85-65 on Friday at MJC Gym.

“We’re up and down. We stopped having energy,” said 6-foot-4 forward Jordan Thornton, who felt more than a few bruises after another difficult night. “We dig holes that we can’t get out of.”

The deficit reached 25 points late in the game, a disappointing finish to a night that started with hope. Modesto (4-14, 0-6 Big 8 Conference) – anchored by early hustle by guard Nikos Natsues (10 points), Thornton and guard Jaron Dickson (12 points) – led 14-7 over the first six minutes.

Delta (11-8, 4-2), no doubt encouraged by handing conference-leading Santa Rosa its first loss Tuesday night, countered. The Mustangs’ spark was 6-4 forward Jovian Cormier, a quick leaper near the basket.

Cormier averages 15 points a game, a number he reached before halftime. He finished with a season-high 32 points, hitting 16 of 19 free-throw attempts. Modesto could not cope with his quickness, hence all the fouls. All of his baskets came from within 15 feet.

“I was telling the guys all week how athletic (Cormier) is,” MJC coach Mike Girardi said. “He’s to Delta what Jordan is for us, an energy guy.”

Modesto trailed by a manageable 35-26 at halftime, but Thornton was assessed his third foul early in the second half. Girardi opted to zone, and Delta guard Mike Anderson (19 points) soon found the range from the perimeter.

The episode demonstrated MJC’s few options and tiny margin for error. The Mustangs, who choked MJC’s momentum with their man-to-man defense, pulled away by beating the Pirates to offensive rebounds.

“We weren’t moving in the zone defense as well as we needed to,” Girardi said. “We see flashes from individuals for a while, and then we don’t see consistency from those same guys.”

Modesto will finish the first Big 8 rotation next Tuesday night at Diablo Valley. Eight games remain, still time for a slumping team to reverse its fortunes.

“I don’t let it get to me,” Thornton said. “We have to do it as a team. I have stuff to work on. Our team has to stay disciplined and have trust and belief in the process.”

Long night for MJC women – Delta’s full-court press victimizes MJC virtually every season. The Mustangs’ 76-37 walkover Friday brought more of the same grief for the Pirates.

Delta (17-5, 4-2), ranked sixth in Northern California, forced 10-second violations – along with a bushel of other turnovers – with its press. The Mustangs scored 22 consecutive points and nearly blanked the Pirates (6-9, 1-5) in the second quarter. A late basket by Rashonne Founts ended the run, but the Mustangs raced to a 47-14 halftime lead.

It didn’t help Modesto that guard Raquel Garcia, the hero of its Big 8 win last week over Santa Rosa, suffered a knee injury Tuesday at American River. She was missed against Delta, though Girardi hopes Garcia will be available this week.

“She’s a ballhandler and another shooter for us. With her out, (Delta) could focus on (Shealyn) Craven,” Girardi said. Craven, who averages 11.8 points per game, hit a 3-pointer in the second half for her only points.

Meanwhile, the Mustangs connected on 10 triples, three by Brittany Butler, who had 17 points. Noni Kuumba finished with 13 points, and Daisia Williams totaled 11, all before halftime.

Modesto was led by 6-1 freshman Dayna Hansen, who battled in the paint. Her final numbers, 17 points (11 in the fourth quarter) and 13 rebounds, reflected a blue-collar night.

“We just have to play our game and not let other teams distract us,” Hansen said. “I think we have to slow down the ball. Tonight, we just couldn’t set up.”

This story was originally published January 21, 2017 at 12:27 AM with the headline "Good start not enough – Delta hands Modesto JC men 12th straight loss."