THE BULLDOGS GO 2-0 OVER THE WEEKEND, REMAIN UNDEFEATED

After putting up 100-points and breezing through their first opponent last week, the Hancock Bulldogs Men's Basketball team traveled to Cuesta College for the 50^th Annual Rabobank Tournament.

Four teams took part in the event, with two teams coming from Northern California and two teams coming from Southern California. The Bulldogs would dominate both.

On Friday, the Bulldogs laced up against West Valley College who was 1-1 going into the contest.

West Valley came out hot, cutting through the Bulldogs press and effectively executing their offense, taking the early lead of 2-9.

Early foul trouble by the Bulldogs would put West Valley on the free-throw line and keep the score close, tied 20-20 at the 10 minute mark in the 1^st half.

The Bulldogs press eventually started to wear down the Vikings, rushing them into tough shots and timely turnovers. Hancock turned those opportunities into points, pushing the lead to 10 with 5 minutes on the clock.

Great rim protection on the defensive end and strong rebounding continued to push the lead for the Bulldogs, going into the half with a score of 34-50.

The Vikings appeared to be out of gas and would never recover. The Bulldogs won comfortably, winning 61-84.

Sophomore forward Spirit Ricks led the charge with 14 points and 12 rebounds. Freshman guard Grant Johnson chipped in with 13 points, including a trio of treys from the arc. And JT Riddick had an impact on both sides of the floor, scoring 12 points and blocking the ball 3 times.

On Saturday, Chabot College was coming into the contest with a record of 1-3 and something to prove.

Early foul trouble would again haunt the Bulldogs as both starting forwards, Sophomore Trent Mitchell and Spirit Ricks would rack up 2 fouls a piece.

Both sides were unable to get something going early, with a tie score of 9-9 at the 13 minute mark in the first half.

The Bulldogs started to pull away, going on a 10-0 run, highlighted by Freshman guard Kyle Harding with three quick buckets, including a left-hand dunk after stealing the ball in the passing lane.  

The Bulldogs exploded for another huge run, thanks to their relentless full-court pressure, forcing the Vikings into a number of turnovers. Sophomore guard Glenn Jordan, freshman guards Xavier Cooper and Grant Johnson, and sophomore forward JT Riddick all hit three's in a matter of minutes. The Bulldogs cruised into the half with 25-49 lead.

Chabot came out in the 2^nd half swinging. A press of their own seemed to bother the Bulldogs, forcing turnovers and converting on the offensive end. At one point, the feisty Vikings cut the Bulldog lead to just 11 points.

But the Bulldogs adjusted and once again pulled away, eventually winning the game by 26 points. The final score was 66-92.

Sophomore guard Glenn Jordan led the way with 20 points, including 4 three-pointers, and 5 assists. Freshman guard Xavier Cooper had a solid stat-line with 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. Sophomore forward JT Riddick once again impacted both sides of the floor, scoring 13 points, pulling down 9 rebounds, blocking 7 shots, including two monstrous dunks that electrified the crowd.

JT Riddick and Grant Johnson received all-tournament honors.

The Bulldogs are now 3-0 and will face another undefeated team in Gavilan College (5-0) this Tuesday in Gilroy, CA. Tip-off is at 5pm.