Basketball has traditionally been a five on five game, however typically both teams have substitutes. That was not the case on Friday evening in Oakland as the College of Marin Mariners faced the Laney College Eagles. Both Marin and Laney dressed just five players each, leading to an entertaining but also exhausting 40 minutes of basketball. While the Mariners held the upper hand early, Laney rallied back and upended Marin by a score of 60-37.
Marin dominated in the first quarter, scoring the first nine points of the game and held an 11-2 lead with two minutes remaining, Laney found the hoop a few more times, but Marin had an eight-point advantage 14-6 at the end of the first. Marin began aggressive, and Laney tentative. However, that all changed in the second quarter as Laney attacked without mercy, pouncing on several loose balls and capitalizing with an abundance of second chance points. Marin on the other hand was held to just four points as the halftime score read 26-18 in favor of the home team Laney.
The third quarter was much of the same as Laney erupted for an additional 23 points, while the Mariners answered with just nine of their own as Laney held a 49-27 advantage heading into the final ten minutes of play. While Marin did play better in the final stanza it was not enough to come back against Laney as score was 60-37 as time expired.
Ureka Abbushi led the way for Marin with 11 points including three three pointers, she added three rebounds and four assists. Amari Allison had nine points and 16 rebounds while Tori Buckley had eight points of her own to compliment seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. Courtenay led the way for Laney with 19 points.
Marin travels to Pittsburg to face Los Medanos College on Wednesday, February 1st.