Cuesta Men's Basketball hosted the Cerro Coso Coyotes, out of Ridgecrest, for the first home game in more than a year. The Coyotes opened up an early double-digit lead, but Cuesta dialed long distance, with five three-pointers, and came all the way back to go into halftime tied, 33-33. After the intermission, Cerro Coso jumped back out to another solid lead and kept control of the contest until the final minutes. The Cougars had one final chance to win the game with 7.1 seconds left on the clock, but their shot fell short, 75-74. Cuesta Guards Darryl Brooks (Menomonee Falls, WI) and Isaac Puzz (McKinleyville HS) combined to convert nine three-point shots and led the Cougars with 22 and 15 points, respectviely, while the Coyotes' Haven Ousley also netted 22 points for the victors.
Cuesta will be back home next Friday (6 PM), March 19, against Antelope Valley. The Lancers are 1-2 this year and already split a pair of games with Cerro Coso.