Wright scores 30 to lead women
Two days after the Yuba College women's basketball team was held to just 48 points in its Bay Valley Conference opener, the 49ers exploded against Los Medanos Friday, beating the visiting Mustangs 88-65 for their first BVC win of the season.
Yuba lost 54-48 to Contra Costa on Wednesday.
“We've been on them since the Contra Costa game,” said Yuba coach Glen Mayol. “We wanted to come out today and play an up-tempo game.
Jasmin Wright scored 30 points - including six three-pointers - to lead the 49ers (8-10, 1-1). She also led Yuba in rebounds with 13.
It's the second time this season Wright has breached the 30-point barrier. She set a college record with 34 points against Merced on Nov. 18 in the Butte College tournament.
The previous record was 27 points set by both Carrie Bridges in the 1999-2000 season and Marie Nygard in the 2001-02 season.
“She scored 30 but really it was an unselfish 30,” Mayol said. “She just took the shot she normally takes.”
Michel Hughes finished with 15 points for Yuba while Alisha Taylor scored 11 and Tiffany Embry came off the bench for 10.
“(Embry) came in and scored eight quick points there in the first half,” Mayol said. “I thought that really sparked everybody else. When one person gets a few shots to go down, it really has a trickle down effect and everybody gets hot.”
All 10 Yuba players scored in the game. Embry finished with eight rebounds, while Elaine McCauley and Maritsa Prado cleared six each.
The 49ers came out strong, squeezing the Mustangs with a full-court press that resulted in 17 first-half turnovers by Los Medanos.
Yuba held Los Medanos to just two points in the first six minutes, and then Mayol inserted Embry for Evelyn Meinen.
Embry immediately set the 49ers' offense on fire, scoring on a lay-in at the 13:02 mark before running off six straight points to give Yuba a 26-13 lead with 9:56 remaining.
Her inside presence opened up the floor for Wright, Hughes and Taylor, and the 49ers poured it on, scoring 24 points in the final 10 minutes of the half to take a 50-30 lead into the break.
Yuba led by as many as 33, and the Mustangsgot closer than 20.
Beth Costa scored 20 points to lead Los Medanos while Rita-Melissa Wagner had 12 points and Deanna DeLeon had 10.
