March 2, 2010
By Dave Jordan
The Brunswick News
The College of Coastal Georgia basketball team is back in a familiar place tonight as the first round of the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association tournament gets under way. Perimeter winner on Thursday at Middle Georgia College
The Mariners, led by longtime coach Gerald Cox, are on their home floor and sporting the No. 2 seed in the GJCAA tourney as they host No. 7 seed Gordon College at Howard Coffin Gym. Coastal Georgia is 16-14 over- all and finished 10-4 in conference play.
"We've won three in a row and are playing pretty good after losing three in a row," Cox said of his Mariners, who capped the regular season with a 92-90 win on Friday at home over South Georgia Tech. "We beat one of those teams who beat us earlier (Atlanta Metropolitan College, 92-72 on Feb. 22). That three-game losing streak was a wake- up call, I think."
Buoyed by the scoring of front-court stalwart Johathan Brooks, the Mariners have overcome personnel losses and pieced together a fine season. Down to just nine play- ers on the active roster, Coastal Georgia has withstood the attrition to the tune of 11 wins in their 16 outings.
Brooks leads CCGA in scoring with 16.2 points per game and in rebound- ing at a 9.1 per-game clip. He tallied 26 points in a Wednesday win over Waycross College, and had 34 points in Friday's win.
Guard Jaren Harris (12 ppg) and swingman Tray Pearce (11.9 ppg) join Brooks in averaging double figures for Coastal Georgia. Harris also leads the conference in three-point shooting percentage (40.6 percent) and is second in free-throw percentage (83.4 percent).
As a team, the Mariners lead the GJCA A in scoring at 84.8 points per game.
Gordon, meanwhile, has struggled after a 2-0 start in conference play. An 81-77 loss to CCGA on Jan. 16 began a 10- game losing streak for the Highlanders, which they were finally able to halt with a 89-87 conference win over South Georgia Tech on Feb. 17.
The Highlanders finished a league-worst 3-11 in conference play and are 15-15 overall.
"They haven't played well, and we hope they don't (Tuesday) night," Cox said of the Highlanders. "But you always worry."
Tonight's winner advances to Friday's semifinal round to face the winner of the Georgia Perimeter-Atlanta Metro first round contest.
Middle Georgia is the No. 1 seed in the tournament and will host the semifinal and final rounds.
The tournament champion advances to the national tournament, which begins March 16 in Hutchinson, Kan.
A look at College of Coastal Georgia in the GJCAA tournament:
Opponent: Gordon College
When: 7:30 p.m. today
Where: Howard Coffin Gym
Records: CCGA 16-14, No. 2 seed GJCAA; GC 15-15, No. 7 seed
At stake: Winner advances to tournament semifinals to face Atlanta Metro-
Georgia