Another close game and another agonizing loss for the Mariners. Marin took the short drive to San Pablo on Friday evening for what turned out to be a thrilling competition. The Mariners and Comets were tied at the end of regulation and it took five more minutes of action to separate the two foes. In the end the Mariners were on the wrong end of an 88-85 game that saw the Mariners play some of their best basketball of the season.
The first half was closely contested but went in favor of the Comets who grabbed a 41-35 lead at halftime. The Mariners mounted a comeback in the second stanza, helped by Derek Morgan, and Eric Mireri who led Marin in scoring.
The second half leaned towards the Mariners who bounced back to score 40 points while limiting Contra Costa to 34. Both teams had chances to hit game winning shots, but instead it went to overtime. In the additional period, the Mariners ran out of gas while Contra Costa pressed on and grabbed the 88-85 victory.
It was a very physical game for the Mariners who got bumped, bruised and pounded on almost every possession. The positive was it allowed the Mariners to get to the line. On the evening they took an astounding 44 free throws and knocked down 28 of them.
Derek Morgan had a double double with 23 points and 12 rebounds, adding six assists and a pair of blocks. Eric Mireri had 19 points and five rebounds including 9-10 from the free throw line. Joey Potts had 15 points before leaving the game late with a wrist injury. Eric Jones led Contra Costa with 22 points and 11 assists.
Marin has just one game remaining, a home date with the Napa Valley Storm on February 16th.