Men's Basketball Grounded by Warriors, Soar Over Yaks

[Ontario, OR] - Treasure Valley Community College Men's Basketball went into last week looking to extend their East Region success with wins over Walla Walla and Yakima Valley. Hosting the Warriors from Walla Walla on Wednesday, ranked #5 in the NWAC Men's Basketball Coaches' Poll, the first half was a tight battle that found the Chukars trailing by one point after one half of play. A strong shooting night from the Warriors extended into the second half, where the Chukars were unable to keep up. The Warriors defeated the Chukars in Ontario, 91-78. Kirath Makhar led the Chukars in scoring with 21 points, while Ashraf Barsham finished with the only double-double of the game, scoring 18 points and snatching 10 rebounds. Eddie Rogriguez went 40% from 3pt range, scoring 14 total points. Jeremiah Williams contributed 11 points. 

 

Losing their first East Region contest of the season, the Chukars moved their focus to the Yaks from Yakima Valley on Saturday. With no trouble scoring in the first half, TVCC put up 63 points in 20 minutes, with 19 of those points coming from Makhar. Continuing their dominance in the second half, the Chukars found the century mark scoring, finishing with a 115-91 victory over the Yaks. Makhar led all scorers with 30 points, going 7-16 from downtown. Rodriguez went 6-10 from behind the arc, finishing with 18 points. Barsham also scored 18 points. Jacob Martinez put up 15 points off the bench, and Mou Mou rounded out the double-figure scoring with 11 points, and he also grabbed nine rebounds. 

 

The Chukars, now 7-9 overall and 3-1 in the East Region, will play two road games this week, first taking on Blue Mountain on Wednesday. The Timberwolves are currently 6-13 overall, and 1-3 in the East Region. Then, on Saturday, the Chukars make the trek to Spokane, WA to take on the Sasquatch, who are currently 16-3 overall and 3-1 in the East Region. Notably, the Sasquatch play Wenatchee Valley on Wednesday, who is currently 6-13 overall and 1-3 in the East Region.