Gonzales stays hot during Modesto JC men’s basketball victory over American River

The Modesto Junior College Pirates still have life largely because of sophomore guard Zack Gonzales.

Gonzales, continuing a late-season resurgence, scored 25 points Thursday night in the Pirates’ 85-67 Big 8 Conference win over American River College.

Modesto (11-13, 5-7), winner of two in a row, has been energized by the perimeter shooting of Gonzales, who’s averaged 27 points over the last four games. He accounted for three of the Pirates’ eight three-pointers as the Pirates built a 33-27 halftime lead.

Michael Hatfield, a 6-foot-8 post player, also has improved over the season’s final weeks, and he burned the Beavers (3-13, 3-9) for 22 points. Guard Mason Washington scored 21 points, and guard Brennan Pope finished with 10 points for Modesto.

The Pirates will honor their sophomores during the home finale vs. San Joaquin Delta on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. Modesto will finish the regular season Friday at Diablo Valley College.

American River women 75, Modesto JC 53 in Sacramento – The Pirates (3-20, 0-12 Big 8) jumped to a 16-9 lead before the Beavers (15-10, 5-7) found their shooting touch, finishing with 12 three-pointers.

Raquel Garcia had 15 points, Camille Flores scored 10, and Natalie Govea grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds for Modesto, which was short-handed because of illness and injury.

Cal State San Bernardino men 74, Stanislaus State 59 in San Bernardino – The Warriors (5-15, 4-11 California Collegiate Athletic Association) couldn’t extend their hot shooting and lost their 10th consecutive game.

Vondel Faniel scored 10 of his career-high 17 points to ignite a midgame Stanislaus rally, but San Bernardino responded with a 21-8 run to lead by 11 points. The Coyotes (8-2, 5-11) made 14 three-pointers, four by Juan Martinez, who finished with 19 points.

The Warriors’ Kyle Gouveia earned his second double double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Cal State San Bernardino women 77, Stanislaus State 61 in San Bernardino – The Warriors, needing a win over fellow CCAA tournament hopeful San Bernardino, fell off the pace in the final minutes.

Stanislaus (14-7, 10-5), has gone 1-3 since its seven-game winning streak. The Warriors shot 32 percent, the Coyotes 54 percent.

Stanislaus stayed close until an 8-0 run by the Coyotes (11-10, 8-8) gave them the lead before halftime.

Reana Hardin had a career-high 20 points and seven rebounds, and Cassidy Sanders-Curry scored 14 points for Stanislaus.

Softball

UC San Diego 17-5, Stanislaus State 0-4 in La Jolla – The Warriors opened CCAA play by getting swept after surrendering a two-run lead in the nightcap.

Stanislaus (3-4, 0-2) lost the second game in the eighth inning on Emma Schneider’s squeeze.

Warriors freshman Kiley Ragsdale lasted only an inning in the opener, giving up 10 runs and six hits. She threw better in the nightcap, giving up five runs and nine hits and striking out two in seven-plus innings.

Alexus Martinez, Morgan Balestreri, Cheyenne Harper and Alex Rowell had two hits apiece for Stanislaus in the second game.

Modesto JC 3-14, Los Medanos 1-0 at MJC West – Leadoff hitter Haylie Prater starred in both games as Modesto (3-3) swept a doubleheader, the second game in five innings. Prater, a freshman second baseman, drove in two runs in the first game and scored twice in the nightcap.

In the second game, the Pirates scored 10 runs in the third inning. Madison Ridge went 3 for 4 with four RBIs, Megan McCormick had three hits and drove in two runs, and Rachel Thompson drove in three runs.

Alexis Flores pitched Modesto to victories in both games.

Track

Stanislaus State women’s relay impresses – The Warriors’ new distance relay team debuted by earning an NCAA Division II Championship provisional qualifying time at the Husky Indoor Invitational at Washington in Seattle.

Sara Aguayo, Kylie Cleveland, Denise Reis and Alexa Lua clocked 12 minutes, 9.16 seconds to finish third in their section behind Hawaii and Seattle. The Warriors placed ninth overall with only three Division II programs ahead of them.

Tennis

Stanislaus State women 6, Holy Names 3 in Oakland – No. 1 singles J’Ana Diamond and No. 4 Ebone Qualls captured three-set matches as the Warriors won their second straight to start the season.

Tournament time for Pirates men – Modesto, which tuned up with a 5-4 nonconference win over Santa Rosa, welcomed 15 schools Friday and Saturday to its 42nd MJC Invitational.

This story was originally published February 13, 2016 at 7:41 AM with the headline "Gonzales stays hot during Modesto JC men’s basketball victory over American River."