Men’s basketball on six-game downhill slide

Luke Johnson

February 22, 2013

The Los Medanos College men’s basketball team lost both games last week. After a nail-biter against Contra Costa College Wednesday and a lopsided meeting with Yuba College Friday, the Mustangs losing streak increased to six.

In the final 17 seconds of game one, LMC had possession with a three-point deficit. Being one of the best three-point shooting teams in the conference, they made the decision of going for a quick score instead of tying it up. The team had already made 10 threes in the game.

The ball was given to shooting guard Nick Blount, who scored 25 points in the game, he drove to the basket and missed a floater while being guarded by two defenders. After an intentional foul and a successful half court heave, LMC came up short 77-75.

“The game plan was to win,” said Bount after the game. “The loss hurts. We were like a bucket away.”

Seven lead changes came in the last five minutes of regulation.

“It was going to be a dog fight,” said CCC Head Coach Miguel Johnson. “Every time we come here it’s always tough no matter what.”

Mustangs were wiped out 92-60 by the Yuba 49ers on Wednesday.

An excessive amount of misses from the field and the free throw line anguished LMC’s chances of winning. Yuba jumped out in front from the get go and never looked back. At one point late in the game they were leading by 41 points.

“We got out and had some fun tonight and that’s what it’s all about,” said Yuba Head Coach Doug Cornelius. “I didn’t expect it to be the score that it ended up to be…But right now we are trying to get ready for playoffs.”

With one more win Yuba will clinch the Bay Valley Conference title for a seventh consecutive season.

“I expected a good game. I didn’t expect to get beat this bad,” said LMC center Willem Leeks after the game last Friday, “But I feel good about our team effort. We just gotta’ keep going.”

Even after this sixth straight fall Leeks feels confident that LMC will win the final two games remaining in the season.

LMC Head Coach Derek Domenichelli was unavailable for comment after both games.

About the Contributor

Luke Johnson, Special Projects

Luke "The Scoop" Johnson began writing for The Experience in the fall of 2012. He acquired a passion for sports journalism in high school where he was a four-sport athlete. In published work, Johnson has covered high school All-Americans Marcus Lee (Deer Valley), Joe Mixon (Freedom) and Najee Harris (Antioch) among other star athletes, along with discovering a scandal that caused a multiple-player suspension on a first place high school baseball team. In opinion articles, he has touched topics on suicidal athletes, players with admiration for marijuana, and homosexuality in sports (published just weeks before NBA veteran Jason Collins officially came out and became the first active Big Four athlete to be openly gay). "I just love watching live games, being surrounded by loud crowds and getting to know athletes," Johnson said. "The thirst for my journalistic curiosity is unquenchable." The sophomore has plans to transfer to San Jose State University and earn a degree in journalism.