The Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsairs men’s basketball team broke hearts last Wednesday when they fell to the West L.A. College Wildcats, 77-69. 

After coming off of a strong win against Antelope Valley on February 10, the Corsairs were ready for another win. However, from my side of the stands it didn’t seem like they were ready for West L.A.’s tough defense. 

Still, it was evident from the beginning that this game would be competitive. No matter how many times the Corsairs would score, West L.A. would always come back around and make a few more buckets. SMC’s Jason Hilliard must have been most frustrated as he was one of the few to consistently score. 

During the first quarter, SMC point guard Mike Hill tried to show off his skills, but West L.A.’s Benjamin Ramirez snatched the basketball from him and scored. By the end of the first quarter, West L.A. was ahead by three points, 37-34.

While a lot of people attended the game at SMC, the cheering for each side seemed relatively even. A Santa Monica resident glibly told me, “I only came because I was bored at home. But now, I’m bored watching them lose.”

After halftime, both teams remained focused and alert. Within ten seconds of the second half, West L.A. made a few buckets, keeping the lead at 41-36. But then in the next two minutes, SMC closed the gap to 43-40.

You could feel that SMC was eager to win this one. For some time, with quick feet and hands, both teams defended well and kept the momentum going. Each team kept making buckets, including several fouls going both ways due to aggressive defensive play. At one point, Mateo Grady from West L.A. received a flagrant foul after grabbing Elijah Scranton by the neck, giving the Corsair men a couple of free throws.

But no matter how many free throws the Corsairs were given, Wildcats Chris Paige and Chad Kratzer sprinted all over the court to make buckets. The distance to the hoop didn’t seem to matter to them, as soon as they would see an opening — they would score. It was clear SMC’s frustration was growing. The referee even had to interfere in the last couple minutes of the game due to play being stopped as the two sides jarred at one another for aggressively pushing their respective teammates around. 

The Corsairs and West L.A. were not the only ones playing in the city of Los Angeles Wednesday night. The Corsairs commentator would also keep us updated on the score between the Lakers and the Utah Jazz. Fans of both teams were able to cheer when he announced that the Lakers won their game, 138-122.

Finally, as we approached the last fifteen seconds of the game, Corsairs coach Joshua Thomas was seen yelling from the sideline as SMC received a foul for aggressive play. West L.A., who had not missed any free throws, missed their first of the game. But they still gave it their all to finish out, as SMC failed to regain possession. With just seconds left, West L.A. just held on to the ball until the buzzard went off. 

As soon as the game ended, the men left the gym as the Women’s teams from both schools entered to prepare for their game. The Wildcat women also prevailed in a blowout, 86-52. 

The Corsairs can keep their hopes up for their final regular season game against College of the Canyons on February 23. West L.A. will look to stay hot against Los Angeles Valley College on February 21.

Photo by the author