The Raiders and Lady Raiders each came away with wins last Saturday night against Santa Barbara City College at Raider Pavilion.
Although the games were a highlight, they were not “the” highlight of the night. Moorpark College hosted a Coaches Vs. Cancer Awareness fundraiser. Both teams warmed up in pink t-shirts to commemorate the evening. The gym was decorated. The players were draped in pink from head to toe. Raider Pavilion was booming with a festive energy.
Before the tip-offs each player had a ceremonial obligation. All players were encouraged to bring a cancer survivor to the game, or to have a person there to receive a carnation presented in honor of a person who had passed from cancer.
The night of competition began with great performances by Lady Raider basketball players Camilla Chun and Maya Machler. They sang the National Anthem before each game.
The Lady Raiders record improved to (9-1) in conference games with a 68-40 win over Santa Barbara.
Sophomore guard Ashley Samson started the game by shooting two 3-pointers to get her team a quick 6-0 lead. Santa Barbara couldn’t handle the press that Moorpark put on, and the turnovers turned into easy layups for Samson and Charnae Thomas. The Lady Raiders were ahead 28-15 with just under 5 minutes to go in the first half; they never looked back.
“We have to continue to stay focused,” said Samson. “One game at a time.” Samson finished with 21 points.
The second half didn’t change much, as the Lady Raiders continued their dominance. Thomas finished with 10 points. Katie Lenik finished with 8 points and 8 rebounds.
“I just can’t wait to play Ventura again,” said Thomas.
The Lady Raiders take on Oxnard College Wednesday at home. If they win on Wednesday night, the following Saturday night matchup will be huge. They’ll play the undefeated Ventura College Pirates at Ventura. The Pirates won the last meeting on Jan. 25 in a barn burner, 52-48.
MEN’S BASKETBALL SNAPS 5-GAME SKID
The Raiders ended the night in dominating fashion, winning their game against Santa Barbara 70-57.
It was evident that the Raiders had plans to end their 5 game losing streak since Santa Barbara had an extremely hard time scoring. The Vaqueros only scored 7 points in the first 10 minutes. The Raider defense was causing turnovers which led to easy baskets. Santa Barbara went into the locker room down, 31-16 at halftime.
Sophomore forward, Coltrane Powdrill, had 24 points in the victory and was relieved to get the win.
“Its always nice to win at home, especially on a night like tonight with the fundraiser,” said Powdrill. “We have two more games in conference and I think we can finish .500, so thats the goal right now.”
Steven Brodie had three 3-pointers and Jamal McClerkin chipped in with 11 points to give the Raiders their fourth win in conference play. The Raiders are in 4th place at (4-6).
“There is no doubt that our team played with a lot of energy tonight because of the fundraiser,” said Raiders Head Coach, Remy McCarthy. “Howard (Raider Athletic Director) does a great job putting it all together.”
The Raiders next games are at home on Wednesday, Feb. 15 against Oxnard College. The women’s game starts at 5 p.m.. The men’s game starts at 7 p.m.
Moorpark College Raider Charnae Thomas honors her grandmother Rosetta Thomas, a cancer survivor, at Raider Pavilion on Saturday Feb. 11, 2012. The Raiders held their annual Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser that raised over $2400. Photo by Jeffrey Farrar (Jeffref Farrar)
Moorpark College Raider David Mensah warms up in his “Coaches vs. Cancer” garb at Raider Pavilion on Saturday Feb. 11, 2012. The Raiders held their annual Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser that raised over $2400. (Jeffrey Farrar)
Moorpark College Lady Raider Ashley Samson gets by Santa Barbara City College Vaquero Leslie Steele at Raider Pavilion on Saturday Feb. 11, 2012. The Raiders won the game 68-40.
Moorpark College Raider Coltrane Powdrill shoots over a Santa Barbara City College Vaquero Defender at Raider Pavilion on Saturday Feb. 11, 2012. The Raiders won the game 70-57.
