The Los Medanos College men’s basketball team entered their Nov. 13 game determined to write the script for their season. Coming into the game 2-3, the Mustangs held a clear vision to play fast, trust their chemistry and move as a unit together. The Skyline team matched LMC’s energy and brought up a battle, but the Mustangs came out on top, pulling out a dramatic 75–70 home win in a game that showed how bad they wanted it.
From the tip, you could tell LMC was determined. The Mustangs pressured hard on the perimeter, jumped lanes and ran the floor at every given chance. Diallo Norwood from LMC set the tone on defense, stepping up past the paint and suffocating Skyline’s offensive attacks, which forced an early timeout. That didn’t stop him though as moments later he delivered a loud, swinging block on an offensive attempt.
LMC’s ability to pressure grew throughout the first half. LMC’s Gianni Altman knocked down two free throws after being fouled on a fast-break attempt. The Mustangs’ defensive energy paid off again when they forced a Skyline shot-clock violation, causing the bench to erupt. On the following possession, Altman pushed the ball up the floor and found Mathys Joseph for a clean layup that brightened their lead to three.
By halftime, the Mustangs had just survived Skyline’s late push and walked into the locker room still looking to fix mistakes as the score stood at 37-34.
The second half opened with a burst of Mustang energy. Trevon O’Neal broke the tension with a solo fast break finish, taking their lead to five and immediately sending momentum throughout the whole team. On the defense, the Mustangs were able to start forcing Skyline into uncomfortable contested threes and their rotations got sharper with time.
That’s when sophomore guard Kayshaun Hunte took over.
Driving with purpose, he split defenders at the rim and earned trips to the line. He wrapped around screens and used his first step to beat Skyline to the basket. Possession after possession, he found space inside, converting through contact or forcing whistles. With Hunte pushing the tempo, LMC opened up a 49-43 lead.
“My shooters were open today and they knocked it down,” Hunte said, smiling after the win. “We were just learning what the defense was giving us. They kept giving us that pick-and-roll, easy, every time. So we just kept eating on it. And my floater was falling today too, so you know it felt good.”
The game tightened again midway through the half. Skyline had a complete shift in strategy, slowing the tempo and applying heavy pressure to whoever got the ball on LMC. LMC’s early dominance on the glass had taken a dip, allowing Skyline to capitalize with second chance points and put-backs. As the Mustang lead gradually shrank possession by possession, a Skyline three with just over five minutes left, knotted the game at 66-66. The Mustangs didn’t lose their composure, but they needed a spark to change the game.
Norwood followed up with an inside finish cutting through the paint, muscling through all the contact to push the Mustangs back ahead. Then Skyline made a costly foul that put the game right in LMC’s hands.
That’s when LMC’s Greg Tom delivered one of the biggest shots of the night, a clean mid ranged jumper off a low bounce pass, putting the Mustangs up by two and sending everyone wild and dimming the Skyline’s spark.
“I feel great, honestly,” Tom said after the game. “Whether I’m starting or coming off the bench, I know I bring value. We didn’t even play our best tonight and that’s the exciting part. We have so much more we can do.” Tom gave credit to all of his teammates’ passion and fight throughout the game.
The final minutes reflected everything LMC’s going for. Tom hit two clutch free throws, Hunte sent one back to the rim for another crucial basket and the Mustangs made one last defensive stand. When LMC got the rebound, the Mustangs closed out the 75–70 win once they fouled and Tom closed it out with two more free throws..
After the buzzer, assistant coach George Molina gave props to the team’s effort and chemistry.
“The guys were ready to play tonight,” Molina said. “They played hard, played smart. We had some foul trouble and we’re undersized, but they pushed through it. The chemistry and trust, it’s amazing for a group that’s only been together a few weeks.”
For Hunte, the win was more than a single game. It was more of a message about where this team believes they can go.
“We’re going to the playoffs,” he said with confidence. “We get better every game. And if we play our best? It’s over for the next team.”
For a team still defining itself, still growing and still learning how to close out tight games, Thursday night’s win felt like a key step not only in their development but in that journey. That’ll be tested during their next home game Dec. 9 against the San Joaquin Delta College at 6 p.m.
