The long trip to Eureka was a success for the College of the Siskiyous women’s basketball team on Jan. 13, as the Eagles left the Corsairs shipwrecked in the Golden Valley Conference opener, 117-59.
Alas, the tide turned in the men’s game, won by Redwoods, 72-50.
Amber Franko led the Siskiyous women with 22 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists and 7 steals. She was 4 of 6 free three-point range.
The Eagles improved to 11-5 overall.
A week after winning their home opener, the Eagle men started fast at Redwoods, but their 9-1 lead soon turned into a 20 point deficit.
The Eagles’ shooting was off and “we couldn’t stop their 6-10 guy,” Siskiyous coach Kyle Heath said of Redwoods center Mat Lipski, who scored 18 points.
Dylan Griffin scored 18 for the Eagles, and Heath said Norman Bradley, Bronson Damen and Eric Johnson all played well.
Siskiyous returns home to play Butte this Saturday night in Weed.

The following article is from the Jan. 13 print edition of Mt. Shasta Area Newspapers:

Home opener was good win for Eagles

With a new coach and a new point guard, the College of the Siskiyous men’s basketball team won its home opener last Wednesday, 86-72.
Three Eagles combined to score 70 points as the Eagles won for just the second time this season.
Kyle Heath, who recently took over the head coaching position, praised the play of 24 year old point guard Norman Bradley, who was playing in his first college basketball game.
Bradley, a freshman from Lakewood, Wash., scored 5 points with 10 assists and 2 steals and earned the opportunity to continue in a starting role.
“He took advantage of his opportunity, like I’m trying to take advantage of mine,” Heath said.
Freshman Luke Cassedy scored 27 points with 8 rebounds and 6 assists, and freshman Dylan Griffin scored 25 points with 10 rebounds and 6 blocks. Both are graduates of Central Valley High School in Redding.
Bronson Damen, a freshman from Auburn, Wash., added 17 points and 7 rebounds.
Previously a backup, Damen also earned a starting spot with his performance, Heath said.
Eric Johnson, a third-year sophomore from Yuba City who redshirted last year, scored 4 points with 8 rebounds, 4 assists and no turnovers.
“He’s a hustler; he has come a long way,” Heath said of Johnson.
Heath, who was in his third year as an Eagle assistant coach, has replaced George Tuttle as head coach.
Athletic director Dennis Roberts said Tuttle’s contract was not renewed for the spring semester.
“It wasn’t a good fit here,” Roberts said of the decision on Tuttle.
Roberts said he’s “very pleased” with the job Heath has been doing.
He said he agreed with the decision Heath made to sit some starters for last week’s game after they returned late from the holiday break.
That opened the door for Bradley and Damen.
“I’m trying to win this job,” said Heath, whose father has been the head basketball coach at Ukiah High School for some 30 years. “I thought it was the right thing to do. We’ve got 13 freshmen; we’re young and trying to build chemistry. This isn’t the time of the season you normally want to be doing that.”