MOTHER LODE TO CHRISTEN NEW TOURNEY

Mother Lode Christian School has gotten into the basketball tournament business with the Cougar Holiday Classic, a new eight-team boys' event which runs Thursday through Saturday at Rex Heath Gym in Tuolumne.

The Cougars themselves (6-1) play the feature game of the first round at 8 p.m. Thursday against Mountain Oaks of Valley Springs. Other first-round games have Rite of Passage from Fricot City against Clovis Christian at 3:30, Stoneridge Christian of Merced against LeGrand at 5 and Victory Baptist of Mariposa against Sacramento Country Day at 6:30.

Friday's game times are the same, with consolation games at 3:30 and 5 and the championship semifinals at 6:30 and 8. Mother Lode, if it beats Mountain Oaks, will play at 8 Friday against the Victory-Country Day winner.

On Saturday, the seventh-place game is a noon, the consolation final at 1:30 p.m., the third-place game at 3 and the championship game at 4:30.

COUGAR HOLIDAY CLASSIC

Rex Heath Gym, Tuolumne

Thursday

First Round

Rite of Passage vs. Clovis Christian, 3:30 p.m.

Stoneridge Christian vs. LeGrand, 5 p.m.

Victory Baptist vs. Sacramento Country Day, 6:30 p.m.

Mountain Oaks vs. Mother Lode Christian, 8 p.m.

Friday

Consolation Semifinals

ROP-Clovis loser vs. Stoneridge-LeGrand loser, 3:30 p.m.

Victory-Country Day loser vs. Mountain Oaks-Mother Lode loser, 5 p.m.

Championship Semifinals

ROP-Clovis winner vs. Stoneridge-LeGrand winner, 6:30 p.m.

Victory-Country Day winner vs. Mountain Oaks-Mother Lode winner, 8 p.m.

Saturday

Seventh place, noon.

Consolation final, 1:30 p.m.

Third place, 3 p.m.

Championship game, 4:30 p.m.