CORSAIRS COOKING FOR HOME VICTORY
College of Redwoods prepares to host Tregs Classic next week in Eureka
Late in the first half against Marin on Saturday, the Corsairs needed a spark of intensity. They were playing well, but the lethargy of the holiday weekend seemed to be holding the team back from their full potential. So when Jon Nchekwube aggressively snagged an offensive rebound and was fouled on his layup attempt, he lit the fuse for his teammates.
“They’re not good!” exclaimed Nchekwube of the Corsairs’ opponent.
It was a slightly out-of-character moment for the soft-spoken sophomore forward and wasn’t so much a moment of trash talk as it was a call to action. The Redwoods Corsairs play to their own standard of excellence and their star player just demanded that they meet that standard.
The Corsairs answered the call. The College of the Redwoods men’s basketball team secured their 10th win of the season on Saturday after beating Marin, 76-60.
“It’s not about me, it’s about what the team needs,” said Nchekwube after the game. “If the team needs someone to get them going and get them fired up, that’s what I’m gonna do.”
“It’s not something that I’ve always done in my basketball career, but it’s something that I’m going to embrace being here.”
It’s safe to say that Nchekwube has embraced his time in Humboldt County. The leading rebounder in the entire state of California was terrific once again in the victory, as he scored 18 points for the Corsairs. He was virtually unstoppable in the interior, and his dominance led to the chippy comments and tension as Marin tried in various ways to stop the big man. Nothing worked.
“At that time, Marin was just trying to get us to lose our heads,” said Redwoods coach Ryan Bisio. “Being down 25, that was probably a reasonable tactic.”
The affable two-time Golden Valley Conference Coach of the Year spoke plainly and concisely after the game. There wasn’t much time to dwell on the late-game frustrations with the other team or the officials, who had strange calls throughout the afternoon.