MBB Archive 2001-02

Men's Basketball Archives
2000-01	2001-02	2002-03
2003-04	2004-05	2005-06
2006-07	2007-08

2001-02
Tyler Newton to UOP
SECOND KNIGHT IN 2 YEARS
(3/25/02-Shasta College) Big man, Tyler Newton, has given a verbal agreement to attend the University of the Pacific next season. Tyler will be following in the footsteps of another Shasta College All-State player, Demetrius Jackson, who last year accepted a full ride scholarship to attend UOP. Coach Kele Fitzhugh thinks that Tyler can be an impact player for the Tigers. "Tyler has some outstanding skills, there aren't too many 6' 10" players like him that can shoot the three and play inside, he should do well there." Tyler was an important part of the undefeated GVC Champion Knight's basketball team that finished 28-6 on the season making it to the sweetsixteen for the second year in-a-row. Great Job Tyler!!
Rewarded Knights
MILLER & NEWTON NAMED TO ALL-STATE TEAM
(3/18/02-Shasta College) Two Shasta College Knights were named to the All-State team as announced by the COA. League MVP, Ryan Miller, and Tyler Newton were both rewarded for having outstanding seasons and leading the Knights to a 28-6 season record. Miller and Newton also helped the Knights to their fourth championship in the last five seasons. The Knights steamrolled the GVC, finishing with a perfect 10-0 record. Shasta College is one of only two teams in the state with two players on the All-State team. If you would like to read more about the All-State basketball team go to the COA link.
Almost Perfect
LARGEST AND LOUDEST CROWD IN 20 YEARS
(3/9/02-Shasta College) It was almost a perfect night for basketball at Shasta College. Everything was in place for a special evening. With a win, the Knights would advance to the state championships, something that has never happen in this play-off format. The sellout crowd was in their seats early and they were ready. Boy, were they ready. From the opening introductions it was evident that this was a special crowd. They were loud, very loud and into the game. (A full gym of Knight fans tend to be loud!) They would certainly give the Knights an edge. The Knights were on a roll having won 14 games in-a-row and they were undefeated in their own gym, 14-0. The only thing left to do was for the Knights to get the win. Unfortunately they came up two points short. Their opponent, Columbia College, had beaten the Knights twice before this season so Shasta knew they were in for a dog fight. It turned out to be just that. Columbia College threw up a baseline runner with 7 seconds to go and the Knights could not answer falling, 71-69. Sage Willis led the Knights with 17 points followed by Colin Carr who had 16. End of game, end of an almost perfect evening of basketball and end of almost perfect season. Still the Knights can be proud, they accomplished so much. A stellar 28-6 record, a perfect 10-0 in the Golden Valley Conference, a fourteen game winning streak, a 14-1 home record and a #2 North state ranking and a #5 state ranking. The Knights also loaded up the All-GVC team with the MVP, freshman Ryan Miller, and three starters, Tyler Newton, Colin Carr and Sage Willis. With two of those all GVC players returning, MVP Miller and Willis, and the majority of the Shasta bench returning things still look bright for the Knights next season. The Knights have won the Golden Valley Conference title 4 out of the last 5 seasons and they are primed to make it 5 out of 6! Great Job!!Go Knights!!!
(Read the local Redding newspaper, the Redding Record Searchlight's article about the game)
Knights Blast De Anza
REACH THE SWEET SIXTEEN!!!
(3/6/02-Shasta College) Fourteen wins in-a-row and counting. The Knights started fast and blasted De Anza College, 84-64, to advance to the regional championship on Saturday, 3/9/02, in their own gym. De Anza looked sluggish from the tip as the Knights jumped to a 7-0 lead. De Anza was held scoreless for over 4 minutes as the Knights got on track. The Knights then got going so fast that they never looked back, jumping to a 50-26 lead at half-time. The key run in the first half was an 18-4 spurt fueled by back-to-back 3 pointers, one each from Ryan Miller and Kyle Williams. The Knights kept their foot on the gas and led by as much as 29 points in the second half. "We were a couple of steps slow tonight," said De Anza head coach Mike Riley. "Shasta has two legitimate big men and they just killed us on the boards. We knew we had to beat them with quickness, and it just wasn't there." All five Shasta starters scored in double figures for the 28-5 Knights. Leading the way were freshman Sage Willis and Ryan Miller. All-GVC Sage Willis, had a team high 20 points, followed closely by, GVC MVP Ryan Miller, who added 19 points. Big man Tyler Newton chipped in with 12 points and 9 rebounds and Colin Carr and Adam Olson both had 10 points. Their last hurdle before a trip to the state finals in Stockton is a big one. Columbia College blew out Butte College, 86-58, to set up a third meeting this season with the Knights. Columbia defeated the Knights in their previous two meetings. This time, however, the Knights are on a 14 game winning streak and they are on their home court where they are undefeated this season, 14-0. Tip-off time is 7:00 PM and it is recommended that you come a little earlier for this game. The Knights are attracting big crowds and this one should be the biggest - come early.
Knights Comeback On Solano
CARR, MILLER & NEWTON LEAD THE WAY
(3/2/02-Shasta College) Against an athletic Solano College team the Knights (27-5) could not afford to fall to far behind. In the first half it was G.V.C. M.V.P., Ryan Miller making sure that the Knights stayed close. Ryan burned the nets for 16 first half points to put the Knights into a 3 point half-time lead. In the second half it was All-G.V.C. players, Tyler Newton and Colin Carr, making sure that the Knights stayed ahead. When it was all over, the Knights had turned a 10 point first half deficit into a 25 point second half lead. That allowed the Knights to coast to a 80-61 victory which advances them to the second round of the state play-offs against De Anza College on Wednesday, 3/6/02, in the Shasta gym. Sharp shooter Colin Carr finished with a game high 22 points followed by Tyler Newton who had 20 points and MVP Ryan Miller who added 19 points. Down 19-9 eight minutes into the game the Knights and Ryan Miller in particular got on track. With the Knights running at full speed the largest crowd of the year got into the game and the Knights then took command. "We knew it was going to be a tough game," said Tyler Newton. "They played really well and shot really well early. But coach told us to keep playing our game. They weren't going to continue to shoot well and our shooting was going to pick up." Next up is De Anza College in a rematch of last years first round game that the Knights were able to win by four points.
RYAN NAMED G.V.C. MVP
FOUR KNIGHTS MAKE ALL-GVC
(3/1/02-Shasta College) League post-season awards were handed out and as expected the Knights got their share. Heading the list was G.V.C. Most Valuable Player, Freshman point guard Ryan Miller. Ryan, from Shasta High School, was rewarded for leading the Knights to a 10-0 conference mark and a number two NorCal ranking. Also making the All-G.V.C. First team were "Big Man" Tyler Newton, Colin Carr and Sage Willis. Honorable All-G.V.C. Honors went to Adam Olson and Tim Haley. Head Coach Kele Fitzhugh was also named Coach of the Year for the GVC. Coach Fitzhugh also has the best five year start for any basketball coach in the history of Shasta College, winning his 4th championship in 5 years. The Knights finished the regular season with a 26-5 record. The Knights number two NorCal ranking also earns them 3 home play-off games starting on Saturday, 3/2/02, with the first one being against Solano. After the win on Saturday, the Knights then would play on Wednesday, 3/6/02, followed by the third round game on Saturday, 3/9/02. Like all play-off teams, the Knights are in a do or die position, lose and their season is over.
Knights Finish 10-0!
FOURTH CHAMPIONSHIP IN FIVE YEARS!
(2/23/02-Redding) The Shasta Knights finished off an undefeated league season with a 79-69 victory over College of the Siskiyous. The Knights are now 10-0 in GVC play and 26-5 overall. Shasta is currently ranked #3 in the North and # overall in the state and should host it's first three play-off games. If the Knights can run the table, six play-off games remain, they would be crowned state champions! College of the Siskiyous was the last GVC hurdle for the Knights and they cleared it with a little hard work. Behind some hot shooting, both from the field and the free throw line, COS was able to stay with the Knights, for a while. Shasta was up at half-time 37-34. But then, in front of the biggest crowd of the year, the defense reappeared and the Knights pushed their lead to 12 points with 6 minutes to play and the game and season was over for COs, 6-21 overall and only 1-9 in GVC play .
Knights Win A Thriller!
CLINCH THE CHAMPIONSHIP WITH THE WIN
(2/20/02-Eureka) Even though the Knights (9-0) did not play their best basketball they still had enough to eek out a one point win against College of the Redwoods in a thriller, 68-67. The win gives the Knights a two game lead in the GVC race with one only one to play. Sage Willis led with 16 points followed by Colin Carr who had 13. Colin was key down the stretch when he came off the bench (he had 4 fouls) and scored 7 straight Knight points to help keep the lead. Big man, Tyler Newton, added 10 points. The half-time score was, Shasta 35-27. Redwoods hit a three pointer to start the second half and the Knights were in a dog fight. COR had several chances to take the lead but never did. After a 60-60 tie the Knights were able to maintain the lead. Redwoods was to get off a last second shot that rimmed out. Their last second shot was made with only .6 of a second on the game clock.
Knights Cruise
MILLER AGAIN LEADS
(2/16/02-Quincy) The Knights would not let a long bus ride spoil a perfect league season. They got off of the bus in Quincy and took care of business, winning easily, 79-67, to improve to 8-0 in GVC play. Point guard, Ryan Miller again led the Knight attack with 21 points followed up by their "big man," Tyler Newton, who had 18. Sharp shooter, Colin Carr added 14 points and Sage Willis had 10. The Knights held a 15 point half-time lead. At one point in the second half the Knights had pushed the lead to 22 points before letting off of the gas to win by 12 points.
Knight's Defense Crushes Butte
POINT A MINUTE DEFENSE
(2/10/02-Oroville) The Knights are using a consistent formula to win basketball games, defense + defense + offense = wins. The Knights (23-5 overall) again used a stifling defense to improve to 7-0 in conference play with an 80-52 rout of the Butte Roadrunners. The defense was evidently the first thing the Knights took off of the team bus. After 15 minutes of the first half the Knights had a 23-14 lead. Fifteen minutes of the game clock had ticked by with Butte scoring less than a point a minute. With 5 minutes to play in the first half the Knights added the offense and the Knights were up 40-22 at half-time. The second half was more of the same for Butte with the Knights building their lead to 31 points before cruising to the victory. The key to the Knights early second half run was again their defense. At one point the Knight's defense forced Butte into six straight turnovers. Shasta is currently ranked #7 in the state and more importantly #4 in the North. The #4 ranking in the North means that the Knights would host it's first 3 play-off games to start state tournament play.
Miller Leads - Knights Follow
RYAN MILLER & DEFENSE AGAIN KEY VICTORY
(2/9/02-Shasta College) Ryan Miller scored 21 of his game high 28 points in the first half as the Knights knocked off Lassen College, 80-65. The win pushes the Knights to a conference leading 6-0 mark. Outstanding Performer, Tyler Newton, added 21 points and 13 rebounds to help the 7th ranked in the state Knights to their victory.
Knights Beat COS
IMPROVE TO 6-0 IN GVC PLAY
(2/3/02-Weed) In a game that wasn't as close as the score indicates, the Knights knock off College of the Siskiyous in Weed, 74-63. Ryan Miller led the way for the Knights with 21 points as Shasta improved to a perfect 5-0 in the Golden Valley Conference.
Knights Own First Place
TYLER NEWTON WITH A MONSTER GAME!
(1/30/02-Shasta College) Defense has again keyed a "big" Knight victory. This time the "big"victory allowed the Knights to take over first place. Behind Tyler Newton's 25 points, the Knights knocked Redwoods from the ranks of the undefeated with a 83-59 romp. That good defense held Redwoods to 7 points in the first 12 minutes of the first half and 9 points over the first 10 minutes of the second half. Newton also chipped in with 14 rebounds, 5 blocks and 3 amazing dunks. "I was pretty pumped tonight," said Tyler. "It was a big game for us with both teams coming in 3-0 in league. We know that any team in league can beat us if we don't bring our A-game." Tyler certainly brought his A-game against Redwoods. Ryan Miller came on in the second half and scored 13 of his 15 points after the intermission. Sage Willis added a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Guards, Colin Carr and Tim Haley each added 11 points for the 20-5, 4-0 in the GVC Knights.
Exploding Miller
KNIGHT'S POINT GUARD LEADS THE WAY
(1/26/02-Shasta College) With the last basket of the first half, the Knights talented point guard Ryan Miller, showed Feather River College what to expect in the second half, a lot more of Ryan Miller. He ended with a game high of 32 points, 18 coming in the second half, to help keep the Knights undefeated in G.V.C. play at 3-0. The Knights (19-5, 3-0) pulled away from the Golden Eagles in the second half after a seesaw battle in the first half. The half-time score was 42-41 in favor of the Knights, courtesy of Miller's 3-pointer with 4 seconds left. The Knights then regained the lead at, 49-47 on a Colin Carr 3-pointer. The Knights then finished of Feather River thanks to a 15-2 run. Key to that spurt was two inside baskets from Sage Willis and two more
3-pointers from the floor leader, Miller. Colin Carr was a perfect 4 for 4 from 3 point land and finished with 12 points. Tyler Newton also added 12 points including a crowd pleasing drive down the middle of the lane dunk. Tim Haley chipped in with 11 points and a couple of timely steals. Sage Willis helped fuel the second half spurt with all of his 10 points coming in the second half.
Defense Keys Big Knight Victory
KNIGHT LEADER - CAPTAIN COLIN CARR - LEADS
(1/19/02-Susanville) There is an old saying in athletics, offense wins games and defense wins championships. If that is the case the Knights (18-5, 2-0) are in good shape to win their fourth championship in the last five seasons. Playing infront of a hostile Lassen crowd, the Knights put the clamps on the Cougars with a 82-53 thumping to improve to 2-0 in conference play. After falling behind early, 5-0, Colin Carr got the Knights going with a three pointer. Then the Knights went on a 18-5 run to end any thoughts Lassen had about staying with the Knights. At the half Shasta held a ten point lead, 38-28. The thought at half time for the Knights was that they wanted to win the second half as well as the first half. Their defense helped them do just that. Holding Lassen to nine points over the first 12 minutes of the second half jumped the Knights lead to 27 points and the game was long over for the Cougars. The Knights were led by their sharp shooting sophomore guard, Colin Carr, who had a team high 21 points. Ryan Miller had another steady game chipping in with 20 points.
Knights Knock Off Butte
SAGE WILLIS LEADS THE WAY
(1/16/02-Shasta College) Even with the Knights (17-5, 1-0) shooting only 16 of 34 from the free throw line, they still had enough in their tank to open league play and beat Butte College, 79-65. The Knights had enough offense in other areas to offset their poor free throw shooting with five Knights scoring in double figures. Sage Willis led with 18 points and Ryan Miller added 17 in the victory. Colin Carr and Tim Haley both had 12 points each and Tyler Newton chipped in with 11. Ryan Stephens came off the bench to hit two key three pointers in the second half. "In league play anyone can beat anyone, and we've been the victims of that in the past," said Head Coach Kele Fitzhugh. The Knights will look to go 2-0 in league play when they travel to Lassen College.
ESPN Instant Classic
KNIGHTS TOO STRONG FOR CHABOT
(1/12/02-Shasta College) Knight basketball fans got a treat Saturday in the Shasta College gym. In one of the best games in recent years, the Knights (#4 ranked NorCal, 8th in the state, 16-5) shot lights out to knock off the Chabot College Gladiators (#5 ranked NorCal, 11th in the state), in an ESPN Instant Classic type game winning, 107-98. The game started out like both teams would break the scoreboard. Five minutes into the game the score was 20-19, in favor of the Knights. That would project out to a 160-152 final! Chabot early on had hit 12 of their first 14 shots including 6 straight three pointers. The Knights had some offense of their own as they hit 12 of their first 15 shots to take that 1 point lead at the five minute mark. Fortunately the Knights were able to slow Chabot down but still keep their offense in high gear. Half-time saw the scoreboard read 54-53, Chabot. The turning point of the game was in the second half when Chabot had just retaken the lead at, 86-85. The Knights had just squandered their biggest lead of the game, 13 points, to give Chabot some life. The Knights and Colin Carr would not be denied however. Colin hit back-to-back three pointers to stop the Cabot run and give the Knights a 93-89 lead they would not relinquish. The Knights iced the game from the free throw line by making 10 of 12 down the stretch. "I shoot the ball out there," said Colin. "That's my role. I'm not afraid to shoot when I'm open. Luckily those shots went in for us." The Knights fans in attendance might not think that there was a lot of luck involved in this classic game, some skilled Knight basketball players maybe. The Knights were led by Sage Willis who had 27 points. "I was surprised I had so many points early in the game, but I was open and my teammates kept feeding me the ball," said Sage. Colin Carr had 25 points including six three pointers. Tyler Newton was the next Knight to step-up his game against the Gladiators. Tyler had 22 points including a nice dunk off an inbounds pass from Ryan Miller. Ryan chipped in with 19 points while effectively breaking the Chabot pressure all game long. The Knights are peaking at the perfect time.
Canada No Match
ADAM OLSON AND TYLER NEWTON LEAD
(1/10/02-Shasta College) The Knights (15-5) had a perfect warm-up game, get out to a big early lead and then play everyone. The Knights did just that in a 76-58 win over Canada College of Redwood City. The Knights got thing started with a 13-1 run and never looked back as Coach Fitzhugh substituted freely. Adam Olson and Tyler Newton each had 13 points to lead the way. Kyle Williams added 10 points as the Knights opened up a 43-26 half-time lead.
Rebound Knights
SAGE WILLIS LEADING THE WAY
(12/30/01-Concord) With Sage Willis leading the way, the Knights (14-4) rebounded to a victory after an opening round defeat in the DVC Tourney in Concord. The Knights lost their opening game to Ohlone College of Fremont in overtime, 74-71. The Knights had a two point lead with just under two minutes to play when the Knights lost their starting point guard, Ryan Miller. Ryan caught an elbow to the head and suffered a mild concussion. Ohlone was able to capitalized and took the victory from the Knights. Colin Carr led Shasta with 15 points followed by Sage Willis, who had 14, and Ryan Miller who finished the game with 11 points. The Knights came back with a victory in their next game against Napa College, 81-67. With Ryan Miller sitting out the game, the Knights again got a good game from Sage Willis who had a team high 21 points. Tyler Newton added 15 points and Steve Johnson added 11 points. In the consolation final on Sunday the Knights knocked off San Joaquin Delta, 85-77, overcoming a 10 point first half deficit. Shasta again was led by Sage Willis and his 24 points. Sage was named to the all-tourney team for his outstanding effort. Colin Carr added 17 points and Steve Johnson chipped in with 10.
Defense Stops Reedley & Monterey
RYAN MILLER & TYLER NEWTON LEAD THE WAY
(12/14 & 15 /01-Reedley) With a 310 mile road trip the Shasta Knights (12-3) could find out what they are made of. They found out that if they bring their defense they can beat anybody. The Knights took their defense with them to Reedley for a little weekend crossover tourney against Reedley College and Monterey Peninsula College. In their first game against Reedley the defense powered the Knights to a 60-48 victory. The Knights "Super Frosh" point guard, Ryan Miller, led the way with 20 points. Colin Carr chipped in with 15 points while Sage Willis added 11 points and 14 rebounds. In their second game the Knights knocked off Monterey Peninsula College, 63-72. Against MPC Tyler Newton led the way with 16 points followed by Adam Olson who had 13 and Tim Haley and Colin Carr who had 10 points each.
Knights Knock Off Reedley & Sierra
DEFENSE POWERS KNIGHTS
(12/7/01-Shasta College) The young Shasta Knights played two entirely different halves of basketball Friday night. The first half saw the Knights take a 41-24 lead. That lead came even after the Knights spotted Reedley a 7-0 lead to start the game! But after half time things got a little tighter than Coach Fitzhugh would have liked. Making numerous mistakes off of Reedley's full court press enabled the Tigers to get back into the game. With 1:38 left in the game Shasta still had a comfortable 74-65 lead. Two quick 3 pointers enabled Reedley to cut the lead to only 76-73. Reedley then fouled freshman Tim Haley who was starting in place of Colin Carr. Haley calmly stepped to the line and buried both free throws to ice the game. Reedley got a late put back to make the final margin 76-74 Shasta. (Game #2) The Shasta Knights started this game like they wanted to, with good intense defense. After 5:09 of the first half, the Knights were up over Sierra College, 11-0. With some long range three pointers Sierra College crawled back into the game and even took a one point first half lead. With a late first half run the Knights pushed the lead back to 8 points as the first half ended. The second half saw the Knights push a 46-42 four point lead, up to 25 points, 79-54, and win going away, 87-67. Shasta is now 10-3 on the season.
Double OT for 3rd Place
SAGE WILLIS WITH 28 POINTS TO LEAD SHASTA
(12/1/01-Sacramento) It took the Shasta Knights (8-3) two over times to hold a lead and win a game against West Valley College in the 3rd place game of the ARC tourney. West Valley it a three pointer to tie the game in regulation and they hit another three pointer in the first OT to again tie the game and send it to a second OT period. The third time was the charm as the Knights knocked off West Valley, 107-101. Shasta High School graduate, Sage Willis, had 28 points to lead the Knights. Sage was also named to the all-tourney team for his efforts. Ryan Miller chipped in with 26 points while Adam Olson and Tyler Newton added 14 & 12 points respectively. (Game 2) Failing to hold a double digit second half lead against host, American River College, the Knights (7-3) end up on the losing side of a 75-72 score in their second round game of the ARC Tourney. That evens their record in the tourney at 1-1. Against ARC the Knights were led in scoring by Tyler Newton's 22 points and Ryan Miller who chipped in with 14. (Game 1) The Knights knocked off Hartnell College in the opening game, 80-73. Against Hartnell College the Knights were led by Colin Carr who had 23 points. Helping out were Sage Willis who had 21, Ryan Miller who had 18 and Tyler Newton had 14 points.
Knights Fall in Championship
OVERTIME THRILLER AGAINST MERCED
(11/23/01-Merced) In the finals of the Merced College Tournament, the Knights (6-2) come up a little short in overtime, losing 85-81 to Merced. Colin Carr led the Knights with 19 points followed by Ryan Miller with 18 and Sage Willis with 16. The trio earned all-tourney honors as well. Merced was able to tie the game in regulation with a "pray" three pointer at the buzzer. (Game 1) With Ryan Miller scoring 20 points, the Knights beat up on Napa College, 91-59, to improve their season record to 6-1. Colin Carr also played his usual steady game chipping in with 19 points. Sage Willis, Ryan Stephens and Adam Olson each added 11 points. The Knights will play in the American River Tournament starting on Thursday, 11/29/01.
High Ranking!
STILL EARLY IN THE SEASON
(11/20/01-Shasta College) Although it is early in the season, the Shasta Knights have been rewarded. The Knights have recorded some big wins so far this young season and for their fine play they have been rewarded with a #3 ranking in Northern California and a #7 ranking in the State Junior College basketball coaches poll.
Defense Keys HUGE Comeback
COLIN CARR ALL-TOURNEY & RYAN MILLER MVP!
(11/17/01-Shasta College) At half-time of the championship game against Sacramento City College, the Knights found themselves in a 14 point deficit. Head Coach Kele Fitzhugh made a change to a zone defense and the Shasta Knights stormed back to beat Sac City, 83-75. So for the first time in five years the Knights have won their own tourney. Ryan Miller and Colin Carr heated up in the second half to ignite the Knight's comeback. Ryan added 17 of his game high 25 points in the second half. For the game Colin Carr had 16 points and Sage Willis chipped in with 11 points. "Ryan did a nice job of putting things on his shoulders," Coach Fitzhugh added. "Colin also stepped it up and Odell Qualls did a good job for us grabbing some big rebounds down the stretch." The Knights are now 5-1 on the young season. (Game #2) With Colin Carr and Ryan Miller hitting 9 of Shasta's 14 three pointers, the Knights rolled to a 81-73 victory over American River College. Colin led the way with 23 points with 5 three pointers and Ryan Miller added 16 points with 4 three pointers. Both of the guards added 6 assists each. Odell Qualls came off the bench and gave the Knights a lift with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Tyler Newton added 13 points and 8 rebounds. (Game #1) Behind five Knights with double figures, Shasta College (3-1) rolled Yuba College 83-66 in their opening game of their own tournament. Sage Willis, from Shasta High School, led the way with 16 points followed by Colin Carr with 12, Tyler Newton with 11 and Ryan Miller & Ryan Stephens each with 10. At one point in the first half Shasta had opened up a 39-9 lead. Yuba (0-3) was able to close the gap in the second half as Shasta was doing some mass substitutions.
Knights Start Fast, Win Tourney
CARR & MILLER LEAD KNIGHTS
(11/9/01-Rocklin) The 2001-02 Shasta Knights started their season on the right foot with a 83-67 victory over Contra Costa City College. Playing in the Sierra College Tournament the Knights were led by freshman Ryan Miller who scored 15 points. Adam Olsen and Sage Willis each added 10 points to contribute to the season opening victory. Game two saw the Knights play Columbia College. The Knights played them tough until late in the second half. The half time score was 48-48. Columbia has a veteran team with four returning starters from last year's state play-off team. Even though Colin Carr pumped in 30 points the Knights lost 110-87. Sage Willis added 16 points and Odell Qualls chipped in with 15. The Knights still advanced to the championship game because Columbia does not play on Sundays because of religious reasons. In the championship game the Knights (2-1) routed West Hills College, 96-71. Ryan Miller led the Knights with 26 points followed by Odell Qualls who had 20 and Colin Carr who added 16. Tyler Newton chipped in with 14 points. Ryan Miller was named tournament MVP and Colin Carr was named to the all-tourney team.
Speer To Bakersfield
TEAM LEADER & ALL-GVC BILLY SPEER
(4/20/01-Redding) Team leader and All-GVC performer, Billy Speer from Enterprise High School, was rewarded for helping to lead the Knights to the third round of the state championships. His reward is in the form of a full ride basketball scholarship to finish his collegiate career at CSU-Bakersfield. Billy is expected to step in and contribute immediately, especially as a shooter. Billy had 80 three pointers for the season, shot 90% from the free throw line and he averaged 23.1 points per game for the 24-11 Knights. Matt Stanley, from Chico High School, has received a scholarship and has signed a letter of intent to attend CSU-San Francisco. Matt will join several ex-Knights at San Francisco. Eric Willard (Red Bluff High School) & Markus Adcock (Enterprise High School).
Big Reward For Demetrius
FULL RIDE to the UNIVERSITY of the PACIFIC
(4/16/01-Redding) There were many people who where impressed with the basketball skills of the Knight's point guard, Demetrius Jackson. The coaching staff at the University of the Pacific can be added to that list. Demetrius had an outstanding season leading the Knights to a 24-11 record as he averaged 24.3 points a game to go along with 9.8 assists, and 3.6 steals."UOP is a great opportunity athletically and academically for Demetrius," said Head Coach Kele Fitzhugh. The coaching staff expects Demetrius to come in and start at point guard for the Tigers. Academically the Tigers have graduated the last 27 JC transfers who attended the University of the Pacific on a basketball scholarship. "We are extremely excited about having Demetrius in our program," said Head Coach Bob Thomason. "He is a true point guard who can really score and he will be an outstanding addition to the Tigers' backcourt. He is an excellent penetrator who has the ability to get to the foul line and his extreme quickness allows him to be a great defender." Great job Demetrius!
Early Rain Floods Ohlone
KNIGHTS HIT 10 THREES
(2/28/01-Shasta College) It rained early and often on the Ohlone College Renegades in their second round play-off game against the Knights. The rain was in the form of three point bombs from the Knight's sharpshooters. Those bombs helped the Knights cruise to a 90-73 victory and to advance to a third round, sweet sixteen game against San Jose City College in San Jose on Saturday, 3/3/01. Things started out well for the Knights when they hit 4 three pointers in the first 3 minutes of the game and jumped to a 13-0 lead. The quick start was generated by two Billy Speer three pointers and one each by Demetrius Jackson and Matt Stanley. This win avenges an earlier defeat by 15 points to Ohlone in January. "The guys came out focused. The shots we hit were right out of our offense. It was good that Billy came in shooting well," said Shasta Head Coach Kele Fitzhugh. Shasta had made six threes by half time and ended the game with a total of ten. "Shasta proved that they were the better team tonight," said Ohlone Head Coach John Peterson. Demetrius Jackson finished with 30 points followed by Billy Speer who ended with 27 points. "We knew this could be our last game, so we wanted to come out with our best,"
said Billy Speer.
Contrast In Styles
KNIGHTS ADVANCE!
(2/24/01-Shasta College) Two styles of play went head to head in Redding on Saturday night in the first round of the state championships. The Shasta Knights (23-10) are at their best when they run. The DeAnza Dons (14-18) are at their best when they set up their half court offense and run off 30 seconds of the shot clock before shooting. Something had to give. With 3 minutes to go in the game and the Knights down by 3 points that "something" was the DeAnza Dons. A three point basket by G.V.C. MVP, Demetrius Jackson, ignited the crowd and the rest of the Knights. Jackson's basket started a 12-0 run by the Knights who went on to a 61-54 victory in front of the largest and loudest crowd of the season. The old saying that, "there is no I in team" was never more evident than in that last three minutes of the game. Team defense and hustle, Jackson's three pointer, Speer's two free throws, Colin Carr's put back three point play, Matt Blanc's steal and two free throws were all examples of the Knights unselfish team play. Throw into that mix that after Jackson's three pointer the large crowd was vocally into the game and you can understand why Shasta was not to be denied. The Knights held the advantage from the free throw line hitting 23 of 31 shots. The Dons were 10 of 13 from the line. Jackson led the Knights in scoring with 27 points followed by Billy Speer who had 14. The Knights now host Ohlone College from Fremont. Ohlone defeated the Knights back in December, 85-70.
Demetrius Named MVP
LED KNIGHTS TO #1 GVC SEED
(2/19/01-Shasta College) Demetrius Jackson was named the Golden Valley Conference's Most Valuable Player for his roll in leading the Knights to a conference CO-Championship and #1 seed for the state play-offs. To say that Demetrius is deserving of this honor is an understatement. Last Saturday, with the championship on the line against Feather River College, Demetrius' value to the Knights was never more evident. With 10 minutes to go in the game and the Knights clinging to a one point lead, Demetrius took over. He was nearly unstoppable against the Eagles. He would drive the length of the court, cut through the defense for a lay-up, dish the ball back out to an open Knight for a three pointer or he would get fouled. Final result was a win and a championship for the Knights. Demetrius ended the game with a career high tying 36 points in the most important game of the season. Demetrius averaged almost 27 points a game during league play. Billy Speer was also rewarded for his role in leading Shasta to the CO-championship. Billy averaged a little over 17 points a game but his leadership might have been just as important in guiding the Knights to the #1 seed. Billy's importance to the team also showed during that last game against Feather River. Billy played nearly the entire game on a sore foot but he helped the Knights keep their poise when the Knights were down by 16 points early in the game. Matt Blanc was the third Knight to be named to the all-league team. Matt's style of play contributed greatly to the Knight's style of play and team personality this season. Matt plays with great intensity and desire and his style of play was contagious for the rest of the Knights. Honorable mention All-GVC went to two other important "pieces of the puzzle," Colin Carr and Brian Riley. Colin Carr, probably the toughest Knight, played the last six league games with a broken bone in his right wrist but still made some very important shots down the stretch. Brian Riley also played a key roll for the Knights. The championship game against Feather River brought out the best in Brian. He made some very crucial baskets in the last ten minutes of the game to keep the Knights in the lead and finished with a career high 23 points. Shasta, the #1 seed from the GVC (The 7th seed in the North), opens state tournament play by hosting the #26 seed, DeAnza College.

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