Cuello powers Giants' first CVC men's basketball win

By Nick Giannandrea

COS ATHLETICS

Facing the prospect of an 0-3 start to Central Valley Conference play, Jose Cuello came to the rescue for College of the Sequoias men's basketball team.

The sophomore guard from Harlem, N.Y., poured in 14 of his game-leading 27 points during the final 4 minutes to help the Giants pull away from West Hills-Lemoore for a 76-65 victory Jan. 17 at Porter Field House.

Sequoias, which is ranked No. 15 in the state by the California Community College Men's Basketball Coaches Association, improved to 13-4 overall and 1-2 in the conference. No. 23 West Hills-Lemoore fell to 12-4 overall and 2-1 in the CVC, one of four teams ahead of the two-time defending champion Giants in the conference standings.

"This is a big, big win," Cuello said. "It's giving us momentum. It's getting us back on track."

Cuello put the Giants ahead to stay at 62-60 when he sank a 3-pointer off an assist from Jaylon Lee (Las Vegas) with 4 minutes and 1 second remaining in the game.

On Sequoias' next possession, Lee kept it alive with an offensive rebound, one of his game co-leading 13 rebounds overall, and Alex Argandar (Modesto) fed Cuello for a second straight 3-pointer with 3:16 left for a 65-60 lead.

West Hills-Lemoore got back within two points at 67-65 with 1:44 left on a basket by Terryn Mosley, but Cuello put the Giants back up by five points (70-65) when he drained another 3-pointer off an assist from Lee with 1:15 to play.

Cuello would make 6 of 6 free throws the rest of the way to help Sequoias snap a two-game losing skid.

"I'm glad we all stuck together," Cuello said. "I give it all to my teammates for trusting me to take those shots and putting me in the right spots to take those shots.

"After I hit the first one, I was like ah, I need another one. They were giving me a lot of space, so I was like, I just got to knock it down."

After opening CVC play with losses to No. 13 Columbia (83-80 in overtime) and No. 17 Merced (69-67) on the road last week, the Giants raced out to a 18-5 lead against West Hills-Lemoore through the game's first 5 minutes, capped by a 3-pointer from Omari Nesbit (Sacramento).

But the Golden Eagles responded with a 15-7 run to forge a 25-25 tie following James Nichols' basket with 5:31 left in the first half.

The teams traded baskets over the next 3 minutes before West Hills-Lemoore closed the first half on a 7-0 run, punctuated by Trey Lowery-Booker's dunk to go into halftime ahead 38-31.

Sequoias trailed by as many as 12 points (46-34) with 16:49 remaining in the second half.

"Credit to (the Golden Eagles). They played a heck of a game," Cuello said. "But after they punched us in our mouth, we took it on the chin and reacted and stuck together."

Cuello also had five assists, four rebounds and a steal for the Giants. Lee added 11 points, four assists, three blocks and two steals.

The Giants also received 16 points, six rebounds, three steals and a block from Jaden Haire (Hanford West); 12 points and three rebounds from Newsbit; three points, four rebounds, and two steals from Davis White (Santa Clarita); three points, two rebounds and a steal from Kion Hayes (Savannah, Ga.); two points, five assists and a rebound from Argandar; two points and a block from Cameron Clark (Gwinnett, Ga.); an assist, block and a steal from James Freeman (Sacramento); an assist and a steal from Mikey Ficher (Tulare Western); and a rebound from Samuel Bazunga (Paris, France).

"What was key today compared to the first two games is that we stuck together even through adversity the whole 40 minutes," Cuello said. "(In the first two conference games,) we would play in spurts. You can't play in spurts in this conference. You see what happens when you play in spurts. You have to play a complete 40 minutes."

Sequoias' next game is set for 3 p.m. Jan. 20 at Porterville (6-11, 0-3). The Giants will remain on the road at 6 p.m. Jan. 24 against West Hills-Coalinga (7-9, 1-2), before returning home to host CVC co-leading and No. 30-ranked Fresno City (10-7, 3-0) at 3 p.m. Jan. 27.