After a one-year absence the Hinson's Tire Pros Men's Basketball Tournament returned for its 52nd year.  The Cougars opened with Gavilan College from Gilroy, after local rival Allan Hancock fell to Sequoias, 70-63, in the opener.  The Cougars maintained control of the game all the way through the first half and reached the intermission with a narrow lead, 35-34.  The Rams slowly began to pull away in the second half, when they started to hit their three pointers and free throws.  Gavilan was 4-for-8 from beyond the arch and 8-of-11 from the charity stripe in the second half, while the Cougars went cold from long distance, just 2-for-8 after a 5-for-11 first half.  Cuesta also went 9-of-14 on their free throws in the second half, after missing only one in the opening 20 minutes, which allowed the Rams to pull away for the victory, 80-72. 

Cuesta Freshman Ketan Sidhu (Seattle, WA) led the Cougars with 14 points, including four three-pointers, while Returning Freshmen Darryl Brooks II (Menemonee Falls, WI) and Jaylen Slaton (Union City: Newark HS) each netted a dozen points for Cuesta.  Gavilan's Power Forward Jailen Daniel-Dalton scored a game-high 16 points for the Rams.  The Cougars are 1-1 on the season and play Sequoias in the tournament finale tomorrow, November 13 (5 PM).  Allan Hancock is slated to play Gavilan at 3 PM.