Rams Put Up Strong Home Showings Versus Chabot, Ohlone

By James Wavro, Seamus Geoghegan, and Don Collier

jwavro@theguardsman.com

geogheganspg@gmail.com

dcollier@theguardsman.com

The Rams are charging towards another State championship after winning their last ten games of the season. 

Rams Versus Gladiators

The Rams beat No. four ranked Chabot at home 84-80 on Feb. 7, maintaining an impressive 10-1 home record.

The Rams were narrowly defeated during their visit to Chabot earlier in the season, falling to the Gladiators 77-79.

Ram’s starting point guard King-Jhsanni Wilhite started the game with 2 three-pointers made in back-to-back possessions, giving the Rams the momentum they needed early on the offensive end.

From there, it was a close battle. Point guard Willie Williams came off the bench with a hot hand, scoring two three-pointers to keep the Rams alive during the first half.

Chabot’s offense got to work with just three minutes left in the second quarter, putting up an impressive 16 points, leading the Rams 43-36 going into the half.

At the start of the second, defense intensified on both sides, making every possession a hard-fought battle for points. 

The Rams refused to falter, with Williams stepping up again to deliver crucial baskets when it mattered. Williams scored 28 points on the night to secure City College’s victory.

After a series of clutch plays and defensive stops the Rams managed to tie the game, sending the crowd into a frenzy of excitement. 

The final moments of the game saw a nail-biting finish with guard Jermaine Haliburton securing the and-one basket to give the Rams the lead they needed to win the game. 

The victory meant six straight wins for the Rams going into their game versus Ohlone.

Rams Versus Renegades

City College men’s basketball defeated the Ohlone Renegades 88-85 on Feb. 14, propelling them closer to what would be a fifth State championship under coach Justin Labagh.

Ohlone had lost their previous three matches and were looking to turn the tide with a win on the night. The start of the game showed that, with Ohlone keeping up with the Rams and taking a five-point lead going into the half.

The Gladiators came out of the break strong, extending their lead to a 16-point deficit.

The Rams started their comeback, with guard Miles Amos sinking two free throws to give the Rams their first lead since the midway point of the game. The Gladiators took back the lead right after.

Guard Ray John Spears scored the most baskets for the Rams with 14 points on the night. 

The game was close throughout the last quarter. With 1:17 on the clock, Amos won two free throws for the Rams after being fouled on a drive to the basket. Amos put both shots away, closing the deficit again for the Rams.

With just seconds on the clock in the final drive of the game, Haliburton received the ball on the outside of the three-point line. You didn’t need to hear the buzzer to know the game was over; The crowd’s roar echoed as the team went to celebrate with Haliburton who put away the three-pointer to win the game.

City College only lost one home match this season to West Valley, succumbing to the Vikings 77-65 on Jan. 5. After their win versus Ohlone, they went on to beat Los Positas, Skyline, and Canada to secure themselves a spot in the playoffs.

The Rams’ next game will be the second round of the Northern California Regional Playoffs against Gavilan College, on Saturday, Mar. 2, at 7:30 p.m on City College’s Brad Duggan Court.