FERNANDEZ HEATS UP AT SAN MATEO TOURNEY

SAN MATEO, Calif. – Shasta College's women's basketball team won one of three games in the College of San Mateo Tom Martinez Invitational over the weekend.

The Knights beat Merritt College 74-57 before losing to both the College of the Sequoias 71-49 and to Reedley 79-72.

Sophomore Mari Fernandez turned in her best three-game scoring stretch as a Knight, averaging 19.3 points per game across the tournament, going over 20 points in two of the three games.

Shasta 74, Merritt 57
The Knights led 30-26 at half but had a 24-point outburst in the third quarter to carry them to victory. Fernandez's 22 points paced Shasta and she added 10 rebounds for a double-double. Freshman Justyse Cooper chipped in with 16 points and seven rebounds, sophomores Kayla Bonomini scored 11 points, Keeley Tuggle added eight points and 10 rebounds and Jordan Martinez scored eight points and had eight rebounds.

Sequoias 71, Shasta 49
The Knights were outscored in each of the first three quarters, including a 20-8 stretch across the third period. Fernandez scored 18 points to go with eight rebounds, Cooper had eight points and nine rebounds and Bonomini and Martinez each contributed nine points.

Reedley 79, Shasta 72
Shasta gave up back-to-back 22-point efforts in each of the third and four quarters after being tied at half to lose in the last day of the tournament. Bonomini scored a team-high 23 points, Fernandez poured in 22 points and grabbed seven boards, Cooper pitched in with 13 points and eight rebounds and Martinez added nine assists.

Shasta (6-7) hosts Gavilan and Cabrillo on Dec. 28-29, respectively in the Shasta CrossOver.