Giants men's basketball team gives coach milestone 200th win while toppling Coalinga to open CVC play
By Nick Giannandrea
COS ATHLETICS
College of the Sequoias men's basketball team opened defense of its 2025 Central Valley Conference championship in convincing fashion while providing coach Dallas Jensen a milestone victory.
But the California Community College Men's Basketball Coaches' Association state No. 20-ranked Giants' 97-59 dismantling of Coalinga on Jan. 7 at Porter Field House for Jensen's 200th career win wasn't without flaws.
Facing a team that entered 2-12 while being outscored by an average of 18 points a game, Sequoias (10-5 overall, 1-0 in the CVC) struggled to pull away from the Falcons in the first half.
Coalinga led 12-6 at the 17-minute, 7-second mark. The Giants surged in front 21-12 with a 15-0 run, but the Falcons hung around and trailed by as few as three points (32-29) following a three-point play by Ryan Gomwalk with 2:52 remaining in the first half.
Coalinga -- which trailed by 36 and 28 points in the first half of a pair of lopsided conference losses to the Giants last season -- was within nine points (40-31) at halftime.
"I'm happy we got a win, but I thought we came out really flat," Jensen said. "Kudos to Coalinga. I thought they played harder than us in the first half. They were really competing and they were prepared to play. I think it took us too long to get going, and that's concerning when you are starting conference that way. But I thought the second half was a little bit better."
Sequoias opened the second half with a 10-0 run -- capped by a steal and dunk from Mason Dorsey (Los Angeles) -- to build a 19-point lead (50-31).
Coalinga would get no closer than 16 points the rest of the way.
The Giants outscored the Falcons 57-28 in the second half and led by as many as 38 points (95-57) following a 3-pointer by Q-Shawn On'gele (Portland, Ore.) with 1:50 left in the game.
"I think guys just decided to move a little bit more and play a little bit tougher and play with a sense of urgency we didn't have in the first half," Jensen said.
Dorsey flirted with a quadruple double despite fouling out with 7:26 left in the game, finishing with 15 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and six steals.
Javon Bragg (Corcoran High) came off the bench to lead Sequoias in scoring with 20 points to go along with six rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block.
Cameron Kelly (Atlanta) and Jayden Abuyen (Centennial High-Bakersfield) turned in solid all-around performances for Sequoias as Kelly had 14 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals, while Abuyen had 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and five steals.
The Giants also received 13 points, six rebounds, an assist and a steal from Kion Hayes (Savannah, Ga.); 11 points and two rebounds from On'gele; six points, four rebounds and a block from Jamaal Phatty (Frankfurt, Germany); two points, two rebounds, two steals and an assist from Kareem Barnett (Miami) and one point and eight rebounds from Zaquien Whitehead (Columbus, Ga.).
Sequoias snapped a two-game losing skid against state-ranked opponents in No. 16 Ventura (78-76 on Dec. 30) and No. 6 Citrus (82-78 in overtime Jan. 2).
"I just don't know. I see moments where we make positive strides and I see moments where we still have regression," Jensen said. "I think there is enough in the locker room to still be really good and hopefully make a run at competing for a conference championship. But at the same time, if we don't start to make strides in the right direction every time out, we're going to get beat at some point here in conference."
Jensen improved to 200-38 in nine seasons as a California community college coach, his first two at Gavilan in Gilroy. Jensen is 149-30 in seven seasons at Sequoias.
"I am not really for personal accolades by any means, I'm much more concerned about the guys," Jensen said. "But it is a special thing and it's cool to have had the opportunity to win that many games. I've always said from the time I started coaching that you don't win games without really talented players and a really good coaching staff. I'm only as good as the players and coaches we've got."
The Giants resume pursuit of a seventh straight CVC title when they play at Reedley (9-6, 0-1) in a game scheduled to tipoff at 3 p.m. Jan. 10. They have now won 25 of their past 27 conference games.
Sequoias' next home game is set for 3 p.m. Jan. 17 against Fresno City (5-10, 0-1).
