LPC 70, Chabot 69

Las Positas College is rolling:

"With a 9-game winning streak on the line and his team on the verge of a stunning—and heartbreaking—loss, Kameron Johnson’s defense saved the day for the Hawks.

In the final 16 seconds against Chabot on Wednesday night, and LPC clinging to a precarious one-point lead, Johnson blocked a shot and deflected a pass that caused a turnover, allowing the Hawks to escape with a 70-69 victory.

The win was arguably LPC’s finest of the season considering it came against a Chabot team that entered ranked #9 in the state and #4 in Northern California. It also extended the Hawks’ streak to 10 straight victories, which is one off from the team’s all-time record.

More importantly, it moved LPC (13-5 overall, #12 in the state, #6 in NorCal) to 3-0 in the Coast Conference North Division, the first time the Hawks have won their first 3 conference games. LPC is tied for first place with City College of San Francisco.

With 4 minutes to go against Chabot (13-7, 1-2), it appeared that a victory was a foregone conclusion. Brandon Eboigbodin scored back-to-back buckets on a layup and a baseline dunk to give LPC a 70-56 lead. But those were the last points the Hawks would score.

Multiple turnovers and missed free throws by LPC, combined with sharp shooting by the Gladiators, allowed Chabot to score 13 points in a row to move within 70-69 with 57.5 seconds left. After an LPC turnover, the Gladiators had a chance to go ahead, but Johnson came up with a big block shot at 0:16, and the Hawks gained possession.

However, McKayle Harnell missed the front end of a one-and-one with 15.2 seconds remaining, giving Chabot another chance. This time, with the clock winding down, Johnson deflected a pass, and the ball went out of bounds off a Gladiators’ player with 2 seconds left. LPC inbounded to Harnell, who passed to Cameron Moses, and time expired.

Both teams started the game streaky. The Hawks scored the contest’s first 5 points before Chabot scored the next 10. LPC then ran off 17 consecutive points to go ahead 22-10. The Gladiators countered with a 16-6 run to finish the half trailing 28-26.

LPC opened an 8-point lead early in the second half and kept the score at a fairly comfortable margin until Chabot made its late run. The margin could have been more comfortable had the Hawks shot better from the foul line. LPC finished the game making only 5 of 17 free throws.

Eboigbodin was the Hawks’ leading scorer with 14 points, while Moses had 13, and Keith Hunter added 12.

LPC will look to equal the team-record of 11 straight wins Friday when it travels to Redwood City to take on Cañada at 7 p.m. The Hawks set that record during the 2011-12 season."