by Matt Schwab

The Dance continues for the gung-ho Las Positas College men's basketball team.

The Hawks received "special" efforts from sophomore guards Elijah Mobley and Jorren Edmonds in a triumph over Columbia, 91-80, on Saturday at The Nest in Round 2 of the 3C2A NorCal Regional playoffs.

Mobley led the way with 28 points, going 13 for 21 from the field, four rebounds and four steals. Edmonds had 23 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and four steals. 

Jaden Woodard and Coby Christensen were igniters off the bench with 11 points apiece and shooting a combined 8 for 13 from the floor.

Now they're one win away from a trip to the State Championships Elite 8.

No. 5 seed Las Positas (25-4) will travel to No. 4 Modesto Junior College (26-3) in Round 3 on March 8. It's a marquee matchup pitting the Big 8 champion Pirates, ranked seventh in the state, and Coast-North runner-up Hawks, ranked 12^th.

Modesto, unbeaten at home, is riding a 17-game winning streak, but the Hawks welcome the challenge. They've faced the likes of City College of San Francisco, Chabot, and Skyline in hostile road environments.

"This team likes it," Hawks head coach James Giacomazzi said of road tests. "It's gonna be a packed house. Our team likes that. They're built on emotion and effort and energy, and there's definitely going be that in the gym on Saturday. It's going to be exciting. We might play better – who knows?"

As of Monday morning, Giacomazzi hadn't had time to study Modesto, but he has seen them play a little bit.

"They're super-talented. They're very long. They're athletic. They're undefeated at home," Giacomazzi said. "They've got a really good coach (Brice Fantazia) that I respect and is a friend of mine who's coaching Modesto Christian (boys team) and a J.C. at the same time. That's incredible. We definitely have our hands full, but it's gonna be a fun challenge and a challenge that we accept."

The Hawks are adept at dictating tempo and staying laser-focused on their goals. They make other teams worry about them for 40 minutes and can turn a tie game into a 12-point advantage in seemingly a bat of an eye. A ball-hawking defense can give opposing guards fits.

"I don't think a lot of teams play like we do in California," Giacomazzi said. "Sometimes it takes teams a little time to get adjusted."

The Hawks will try to wear down the Pirates with pressure and see how they handle it, the coach says.

ABOUT LAST WEEK: Against talented Columbia, Elijah Mobley (Weston Ranch HS) and Jorren Edmonds (Washington HS-Fremont) were "special'" the coach said. "They were both elite and they looked like stars and they played like stars. Those two were just tremendous. Everybody contributed, everybody stepped up and did their role."

He added that Woodard (Sheldon HS) and Christensen (Palm Desert) provided a shot in the arm off the bench. Christensen in fact delivered his most "impactful game this year," Giacomazzi said. He shot it well, allowing the team to stretch the Columbia defense and create more driving room for the attackers.

When Christensen entered the game, the Hawks were up by about two, and all of the sudden they were up by 10.

A LOOK BACK AT 2021-22: The Hawks advanced to the State Championships in 2021-22 for the first time, the year after the dark COVID season. That 2021-22 team, led by All-State selection Jordahn Johnson and fellow All-Conference picks Lee Jones, Jr., and Dathan Satchell, achieved the best record and most wins in program history, finishing 27-4. It also had LPC's best Coast-North record of 12-2. Jorren Edmonds was a strong freshman guard on that team.

POWER CONFERENCE: There's a reason every Coast-North game felt like a playoff game. It's a tough conference. Three Coast-North teams will be playing Saturday, also including No. 1 seed CCSF (28-1), the Rams' only loss this season coming at home against Las Positas, and Skyline.