American River Defeats Sacramento City 85-71 on January 7, 2025

American River defeated Sacramento City 85-71 in a high-scoring game at Sacramento City College on January 7, 2025. Despite a strong first-half performance from the Panthers, the Beavers dominated the second half and pulled away for the victory.

First Half: American River Takes Control
American River jumped out to a narrow 43-41 lead at halftime, led by the strong performances of Ivan Soto and Lamanz Cummings. Soto shot 7-15 from the field and contributed 21 points, while Cummings added 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Max Manfredi also played a crucial role, scoring 18 points and adding 8 rebounds. The Beavers shot 44.3% from the field and 82.4% from the free-throw line, while grabbing 46 total rebounds to control the boards.

Sacramento City struggled to find consistent shooting in the first half, despite a strong performance from Sidney Duplessis, who finished with 13 points on 13-28 shooting. Aaron Gillyard had a tough time from the field, making just 1-7 shots, but still managed to contribute with 6 points and 4 rebounds. The Panthers shot 37.9% from the field but remained within striking distance, down by only two points heading into the break.

Second Half: American River Pulls Away
In the second half, American River pulled away from Sacramento City, outscoring the Panthers 42-30 to secure the win. Soto continued his strong play, finishing with 21 points, while Cummings added another 14 points. The Beavers' ability to draw fouls and convert from the free-throw line was key, as they shot 82.4% from the stripe for the game.

Sacramento City couldn't match the Beavers' offensive output in the second half. Duplessis continued to fight, finishing with 29 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome American River's balanced attack. Gillyard, who had a rough shooting night, ended with only 6 points, and other contributors such as Brandon Hayward (4 points) and Tiyere Martin (0 points) struggled to make an impact.

American River's depth was a big factor in the victory, with contributions from the bench, including Jase Giorgi (7 points) and Ethan Bareggi (6 points), helping to maintain their lead.

Key Performances
American River:

• Ivan Soto: 21 points, 4 rebounds
• Lamanz Cummings: 14 points, 11 rebounds
• Max Manfredi: 18 points, 8 rebounds
• Jase Giorgi: 7 points, 6 rebounds

Sacramento City:

• Sidney Duplessis: 29 points
• Aaron Gillyard: 6 points, 4 rebounds
• Jeremy Kimber: 9 points
• Exander Irving-Romero: 3 points

Team Stats
American River:

• 27-61 (44.3% FG), 3-13 (23.1% 3P), 28-34 (82.4% FT)

Sacramento City:

• 25-66 (37.9% FG), 6-27 (22.2% 3P), 15-19 (78.9% FT)