Photo by Steve Watson/The Artful Photographist – Mayleah Jackson in action for CR on Saturday.

By Ray Hamill — Local sports fans got a timely reminder of the quality of girls basketball here on the North Coast over the weekend, when the College of the Redwoods women hosted College of Marin in an early-season matchup.

The visiting Mariners got a 74-67 win, pulling away late with a big fourth quarter and a nice response after the hosts had clawed their way back into contention with a dominating third quarter.

But the big story for local fans and a large crowd in attendance was the fact that the two teams featured a combined 14 former H-DNL players, including three for the Mariners.

And many of those players played a big role for both teams, including CR’s Nora Talty and Marin’s Bella Turner, each of whom have been very impressive through the early season.

Talty, an Arcata High graduate, had a double-double, finishing with game-highs in points (20) and rebounds (13), while former McKinleyville Panther Bella Turner scored 10 points and had five rebounds.

The 2024 Mack High graduate also had a career day on defense and finished with a very impressive eight steals to help set the tone for the visitors on that side of the ball.

Turner, in her second season with the Mariners, is the latest in a long line of HDN players to play for the Marin County school, following in the footsteps of players like Victoria Claros and Kaylee Armstrong of McKinleyville, Fortuna’s Isobel Crosswhite and St. Bernard’s MaTaya Sherman, each of whom have played for head coach Emily Schaefer’s team in recent years and each of whom have thrived on the college courts.

“Bella was outstanding in every way,” Schaefer said. “She does it all … it’s been really awesome to see her develop into the player she has become.”

Likewise with Talty, who is enjoying a sensational year with the CR women and shot 8 of 17 from the field on Saturday, including four 3-pointers.

Both teams were evenly matched early on, but the visitors began to take control in the second quarter and led by 11 at the break.

But the hosts would come storming back with a big third quarter to narrow the gap to just two going into the fourth, before the Marin women pulled away late.

Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

“I thought we started the game off well and set the tone,” CR head coach Bree Northern said. “But then Marin did a really good job of pressuring us in the half court, which ultimately led to us turning over the ball a lot in the second quarter.

“I am proud of my team for how hard they fought, especially in the second half. They never gave up. We just came up short in the end.”

Schaefer also was pleased with how her players performed.

“I’m proud of them for how they responded,” the Marin coach said. “We were able to respond in the fourth, which was great to see. It was a big-time win for our team.”

Three different CR players finished in double digits in scoring.

In addition to Talty’s big game, Caidence Young had 15 points, including four 3s, while Paityn Erlenbush added 11 points and six rebounds.

Arcata’s Addison Wingate also impressed off the bench and added six points and three assists for the home team, while another former Tiger, Mayleah Jackson, finished with four assists and four steals.

Former Del Norte Warrior Brooklyn Carter, a college freshman, also had a good game off the bench for the Mariners and added seven points.

Photo by Steve Watson/The Artful Photographist

Photo by Steve Watson/The Artful Photographist

“They were fired up for the game, and rightfully so,” Schaefer said of her H-DNL players. “I know that for the three of them, they had this game circled on their calendar.”

Carter, who has appeared in all eight games for the 5-3 Mariners this season, is averaging 5.9 points a game and is a consistent threat from downtown.

“Brooklyn can shoot the ball,” Schaefer said. “Unlike many players I’ve seen, everyone knows she can shoot when she walks in the gym.

“She’s been outstanding. She really helped us on Saturday with her points, and she does a lot of other things for us as well.”

Emily Sauers, who helped lead the Ferndale Wildcats to a North Coast Section championship last year, was limited for the visitors on Saturday because some of the other Marin bigs were having a good afternoon.

But she has adapted quickly to the college game and is having an impact with her new team.

The Marin forward also has appeared in all eight games for the Mariners and is averaging 4.4 points, including scoring 11 points twice, in games against Gavilan and Chabot.

“Emily has had a couple of outstanding games for us as well,” Schaefer said. “She fits in so nicely. She’s fundamental and she’s one of those players who wants to do everything well.”

Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

With so many local players on the court, there was a large crowd in attendance, and both coaches appreciated that.

“I want to shout out the crowd that came out to the game,” Northern said. “It meant so much to us to see the support from the community, fans, family and friends.”

Schaefer echoed the sentiment.

“It’s such an awesome place for basketball and the crowd was awesome,” she said. “It’s a basketball county, and that made it an even better experience.”

All five Marin starters finished in double digits in scoring.

In addition to Turner’s big day, Marin’s Jamaia Harrison scored 17 points and pulled down a team-high nine boards, while Sierra Calantas finished with 15 points, Isabella Zepeda had 13 points and Jaidyn Brown chipped in 10 points.

The loss was the fourth straight for CR, which dropped to 4-5.