The Coaches vs Cancer Double Header Skyline Men and Women Verses Las Positas. February 12 was special day for Trojans Basketball as it held its Coach vs. Cancer game. Which was for a great cause for an 8-year-old little girl named Isabella who has leukemia. All the proceeds went to her. Just like Isabella both teams had to fight and keep fighting no matter what the obstacle.

The first game featured the Skyline men’s team in a heated contest filled with ups and downs, but a good result as they won 74-66 to Los Positas. “We told our guys we need their best and anything but that is unacceptable,” Skyline men Coach Justin Piergrossi said.As the team came out flat in the first half. The Trojans trailed 24-38 allowing Davis Kimble of Los Positas with 16 first half points. But the team never blinked as right out the gate D.J Harey with 3 straights buckets slimmed the lead to 36-41 in the second half. “DJ came out ready to go in the second half…hit a shot right out the gate,” coach Piergrossi said, describing the energy and urgency his guard came with in the second.Yet it wasn’t just him the whole team was different in the second half as point guard Elijah White described “We started running out in transition and we started talking back on defense… we started playing as a team,” Elijah said.

Clearly as the game wore on Skyline began to wear down Los Positas with their leadership and depth and at the 8:40 mark in the game it was tied at 53 a piece. And from that point all Skyline needed to do was close the game. Even though it was a bumpy ride the team as a whole is beginning to play as a collective unit. “We have to do good in the first and second half….we will win,” Elijah said after the game.

Yet with every great comeback there is a setback and the Skyline Men might have that as D.J Harvey went down with an ankle sprain in the second. “We obviously need him,” Coach Piergrossi said as the team really needed this win and three more if they want to make the playoffs. It was a great win that set the game and the crowd atmosphere on fire getting ready for the Women’s team in the next game. Their final home game is Feb. 21 against Canada College. Their record is 11-10.

Even though it was a greatly contested game, the Skyline women’s team fell in the final seconds 60-59 to Los Positas.The Trojans came out hammering as they got to a 14-5 lead early in the first half. The game was very chippy as Marcean Bryant of Los Positas was called for a technical foul and another was assessed for Shealyn Lawrence. Those plays could have caused a spark as Los Positas gradually fell behind to make it 33-28 Skyline at the half. “We got up big in the first half and weren’t able to put them away” Coach Chris Watters of skyline said.

When the second half begun, Los Positas came with a 6-0 run to take the lead at 35-34. During the second half they got great activity from Sahara Clay as she gave the team a huge lift inside with 9 rebounds. Yet even with Sahara’s efforts the game was still too close as it was 50-47 with 4:20 left in the game. “Free throws tonight also killed us” Watters said. Skyline was 16 of 28 at the free throw line.

Yet with all that Skyline still fought throughout the game and Malaysia Basallo with a team high 20 points hit a game tying three with 20 seconds left in the game, but a foul called seconds after that sent Jasmine Rezonabl of Los Positas to the line where she made one free throw to give them the lead and the game. Even though it was a tough lost coach watters still has things they could work on “We are still learning how to win game(s)… we need to take better care of the ball.” Their final home game is Feb. 21 against College of San Mateo. Their record is 9-14.