Men’s Basketball Wins Third Straight, Moves to 4–2

RIDGECREST, Calif. - The SBCC Men's Basketball team extended its winning streak to three games on Saturday, going on the road to defeat Cerro Coso College 75–72 and improve to 4–2 on the season. In a game that saw the Vaqueros lead by as many as 20 points in the second half, SBCC ultimately had to withstand a furious late surge by the Coyotes to secure the victory.

"We knew going in it was going to be a battle against a desperate team," said head coach Devin Engebretsen. "Cerro Coso is well-coached and they were looking for their first win, so I was a little surprised we got up by as much as we did. But obviously they have heart over there."

Sophomore James Reach once again anchored the Vaqueros, scoring a team-high 18 points and calmly sinking two game-clinching free throws with under four seconds remaining.

"Their zone kind of slowed us down late in the game, and then we kept fouling them too," Reach said. "We got some good looks in the second half which helped us win, but we have to execute better down the stretch."

SBCC appeared firmly in control when they led 56–36 with 11:30 remaining, but the Coyotes stormed back behind relentless dribble attacks, offensive rebounds, and frequent trips to the free-throw line. Cerro Coso attempted 22 free throws in the second half alone, contributing to the 50 points SBCC surrendered—the most in any half this season.

"We got up pretty big around the 12-minute mark and maybe got a little complacent, thinking the game was over," Engebretsen said. "We have to remember that games are long in college—eight minutes longer than in high school—and the talent disparity is much smaller at our level. We have to continue to defend and attack for 40 minutes regardless of the score."

Clinging to a 73–70 lead with 17 seconds remaining, SBCC ran a play for Reach, but he was called for three seconds in the key, giving the ball back to Cerro Coso. Coyotes guard Lance Bailey Jr. then hit a step-back jumper that initially looked like a game-tying three, but was ruled a long two, leaving SBCC ahead by one.

On the ensuing inbound, Cerro Coso fouled Reach, who knocked down both free throws. A desperation heave at the buzzer missed everything, allowing SBCC to escape with the three-point win.

Jayden Fajardo added nine points off the bench while Dante Calhoun chipped in eight, continuing the Vaqueros' trend of strong reserve production.

The victory pushes SBCC to 4–2 on the season and completes a three-game win streak. The Vaqueros return home to Robertson Gym on Tuesday to host Victor Valley at 1:30 p.m. in their final game of November.