ARENAS HAS 33 AS STATE #15 CSM SMACKS FOOTHILL, 89-77;

#5 LAS POSITAS VISITS WEDNESDAY

Bobby Arenas scored 33 points, including four 3-point baskets in the first nine minutes, as College of San Mateo rolled past visiting Foothill College, 89-77, in this year's first Coast North men's basketball game at College Heights, Friday night. His opening three, 40 seconds into the game, gave the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead they never relinquished.

Ranked No. 15 in the state coaches poll (No. 7 in NorCal), CSM (13-4, 2-1 Coast North) hosts another top team Wednesday in No. 5 Las Positas (14-1, 1-0), which brings a 14-game winning streak to College Heights at 7 p.m.

That means CSM will have played the top three teams in Northern California  (also No. 1 San Francisco and No. 2 Columbia) since Dec. 31. The Bulldogs are slated to go to Ohlone (2-14, 0-3) in Fremont on Friday night.

Coach Mike Marcial was happy that his Bulldogs were just able to take to the court, while many of the state's 100 teams continued to face postponements. "We just played our third game in five days," he said after the Foothill win. "It definitely was not pretty. Our guys found a way to battle through…Arenas is a heck of a player. He's a third year guy for us."

Arenas, 6-2 wing out of Riordan High (San Francisco) hit on nine of 17 field goal attempts, sinking five 3-pointers and all ten free throw attempts; also had five rebounds and three assists -- to keep CSM in control. He had 18 points at halftime, where CSM led, 43-38. San Mateo extended that margin to as much as 17 points, 80-63, on a 3-pointer by Sam Manu with eight minutes left in the game.

Manu, CSM's season scoring leader (16.2) out of San Mateo's Aragon High, tallied 18 points. Pearse Uniacke, a 6-9 freshman center from Serra High (San Mateo), had perhaps his best scoring performance, connecting on 6-of-7 from the field for 12 points. He had ten rebounds -- and leads the Bulldogs with a 7.0 season average. Desai Lopez, a 6-3 sophomore guard (St. Francis, Mt. View) led the CSM board dominance with 14 grabs

CSM went cold from the field the last seven minutes, netting only a basket interference field goal -- but had enough free throws off the fouling Owls to account for the final 12-point margin.

HIGH SCORING/REBOUNDING: The Bulldogs are averaging 87.9 points per game, No. 5 among the state's 100 teams. Their strong rebounding (40 per game) has given them the most field goal attempts per game of any team, 72.7.  CSM has been especially strong on the offensive board, averaging 13.5 (No. 14 in the state). They have also been averaging ten steals per game (No. 13 in state), led by Arenas and Manu.

ALSO UPCOMING: Closing out the month, CSM will engage in County rivalries on Jan. 26, at Skyline, and on Jan. 28, hosting Cañada.

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• College of San Mateo sports information