Men's Basketball Splits Games at Winter Classic

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - The Allan Hancock College men's basketball team picked up one win and suffered one loss during a two-day showing at the annual Hinson's Tire Pros Winter Classic, hosted by Cuesta College, over the weekend.

The Bulldogs, who moved to 2-1 on the season after the weekend event, are set to host Citrus College at home on November 15th. The non-conference showdown will begin at 5 PM inside of the Joe White Memorial Gymnasium.

GAME ONE: SEQUOIAS 63, AHC 47 | BOX SCORE

A slow first quarter doomed the Bulldogs on day one as they faced off against College of the Sequoias. Coach Aye's squad, which was outscored by just one in the second half of play, was unable to bounce back after trailing by 15 points at the halftime break. Both sides shot roughly 40 percent from the field, but AHC struggled to find a rhythm from distance with a 6-for-20 (30%) showing from the three-point line. The Giants also won the rebounding battle, 38-21, and forced Hancock to commit 20 turnovers. 

Mykel Valrie was tops for the visiting crew after notching a season-high mark of 18 points while adding five assists. Arlind Konjuhi followed with 15 points off of the bench while going 4-for-9 from beyond the arc.

GAME TWO: AHC 74, FEATHER RIVER 71 | BOX SCORE

Hancock outlasted Feather River College on day two en route to a thrilling three-point victory to close out the road trip. The Bulldogs won the first half battle, 39-21, before narrowly seeing the lead evaporate as the Golden Eagles held a +15 point advantage in the second frame. 

AHC saw a significant improvement from distance after making seven of 15 tries, marking a 16.7 percent improvement from game one. They also put up the best free throw percentage for the program since November 18, 2023, with a 15-for-18 (83.3%) finish at the charity stripe. 

Ay-Keen Richardson led the way as one of five individuals to finish in double figures after a 17 point showing. River Ortiz, Valrie, and Konjuhi followed with 12 points apiece while Elijah Allen chipped in with 10. Ortiz and Konjuhi combined for nine of the team's 17 total assists with five and four helpers, respectively, while Troy Green and Noah Morris each hauled in a team-best of six boards each.

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