After falling down their previous two conference games, the Los Medanos College Men’s basketball team came into its spring opener against the Contra Costa Comets looking for an answer for their recent drought. The gym was silent during clutch moments, fans sat at the edge of their seats in anticipation. As they braced for impact, the LMC community’s night ended in a burst of joy and confidence for the Mustangs team. LMC took down Contra Costa 88–85 in overtime, improving its conference record to 5–5 and summoned a lot of hope for a possible playoff push.
LMC, who showcased an offensive effort focused on ball movement and attacking the rim, retaliated against their own shooting struggles from behind the arc. The Mustangs also relied on passing, fast breaks, and their big men rebounding. Their early game efforts paid off as they maintained a lead that slowly slimmed down towards the end of the first half. Despite their very common foul trouble and moments of disorganized offense displayed in past games, LMC went into halftime with a 35–32 lead.
The second half opened with more structure from LMC, as they moved the ball and took open, comfortable shots in gaps revealed by teamwork and synergy. However, missed rebounds and missed looks allowed Contra Costa to claw back. At 5:53 remaining in the second half, the Comets took their first lead of the half, exposing the slips in their rebounding in what had been LMC’s strongest area. The Mustangs struggled to secure rebounds and convert on possessions that had come easy earlier in the game.
With 13 seconds left in the game and LMC down three, not only did the game feel like it was slipping out of LMC’s hands again but the entirety of their season as well. Instead, sophomore guard Jeremiah Collins, the lead scorer at LMC delivered when needed. LMC pushed the ball up the floor, and Collins was able to draw a foul as he took a three-point shot from the wing. With the gym quiet and pressure overwhelming everyone in the gymnasium, he calmly knocked down all three free throws to tie the game at 76 and force overtime.
“We were down with a few minutes left, and I was telling my teammates, just give me the ball. I got us,” Collins said. “We trust each other in those moments. When they give you the ball where you want it, you have to deliver for them.”
Collins credited the defense as the blueprint to their comeback, pointing to the team’s drive to sitting down defensively and not letting any easy drives late in the game.
Overtime belonged to Los Medanos. On the first possession, Kayshaun Hunte clutched for an and-one to put the Mustangs up. The play after that, Hunte knocked down a clutch three, followed by a strong drive to the rim that forced a foul and extended the lead. After a missed free throw, the rebound kicked back out to Hunte, who buried another three to push the score to 85–80. The Mustangs closed out the game 88–85, sealing one of their most important wins of the season.
Following the game, when asked about recent adjustments after hard losses, head coach Derek Domenichelli highlighted the team’s unselfish play and overall growth.
“We shared the ball better, especially in the second half,” he said. “At halftime, we talked about winning together or losing together. Our guys played extremely unselfish. They never gave up, even when it looked like the game was over. That showed a lot of heart and character.”
For LMC, getting a win like this means more than another win on the sheet but it was proof of the team’s heart, drive and composure in tense situations. Coming off a two-loss streak, the Mustangs showed they could respond when tested. If they continue to trust one another, this team may make it farther than nobody would’ve even imagined.
