Just Two Points Short! Santa Monica College Men’s Basketball Team Face First Upset of the Season!
It was an anxious battle in a turnaround game for the Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsairs’ men’s basketball team and the Mt. San Jacinto Eagles on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Corsair Gymnasium. The scoreboard has been close in the second half for the Corsairs this season, but never tied with one second left on the clock. Eagles guard Adrian Mosley was able to steal the final point with a layup finishing the game 83-81 after being tied 81-81 for 20 seconds, bringing the Corsairs’ record to 2-1.
Corsairs’ guard Jerrell McCready started off the first quarter explosively, immediately pushing to the basket after the opening jump ball. After being fouled on the fast break, he went 2-for-2 at the free-throw line and followed up with an open lane dunk on Eagles guard Joseph Boddie, boosting the first wave of energy. The Corsairs led 10-0, with guards Sage Church and Khafre Garrett-Mills assisting with buckets.
Garrett-Mills continued leading his team in scoring, closing out the game with 21 points and four rebounds.
In what seems to be a recurring issue for the Corsairs, after the first timeout is called, the opposing team is able to come back and put points on the board. Boddie scored the first four points for the Eagles and continued to be a vocal leader for his team, urging his teammates to take shots.
Mosley finished the game with 20 points and seven rebounds. Boddie followed through at the rim with 13 points, eight assists and three rebounds.
Throughout the entirety of the game, the Corsairs maintained the lead with the Eagles trailing closely behind. The game was played at a steady pace, with the Corsairs slowing down more than usual. Foul calls were again a struggle for both teams, regardless of who had control of the game.
The Corsairs continued to lead 45-31 at halftime but entered the second quarter less aggressive, trying to limit fouls — allowing the Eagles to pick up more points. It was a constant tug of war over the ball, with 25 fouls called in the second quarter between the two teams, including two technical fouls by the Eagles and one by the Corsairs.
“I didn’t feel like the fouls were too out of hand,” Garrett-Mills said. “Although, there were questionable fouls called on rebound blockout, and at the rim it was a physical game and the refs called it accordingly.”
Sophomore forward Ka’Mari Johnson seemed to have a different opinion than his teammate. “For me, a lot of the foul calls were a little wild,” he said. “I got called for two or three fouls I personally didn’t think was a foul, especially since it was just fighting for the rebound. Those really changed the momentum of the game since it kept slowing the game down and giving the other team free throws. Some of the calls they got happened to us the same way, but wasn’t called the same way.”
With 11 minutes remaining, the Eagles were able to tie the game at 56-56 with Kameron Manning-Fuimaono going 2-for-2 at the free-throw line. Excitement broke out from Eagles fans. Playmaker Jontue Cooper, fired back with a 2-pointer immediately, causing Eagles fans to simmer down and wait for the next tie game.
Eagles guard Daniel Crawford stepped to the free throw line twice within a couple minutes after being fouled by both McCready and Johnson. He was unsuccessful, missing both attempts with one shot on the line. Boddie continued to lead, scoring six points before Tyler Frazier-Mathews landed a 3-pointer to tie the game for the second time at 69-69.
With the pressure on, Cooper recouped on the next play, with another clutch 2-pointer over 3 of the Eagles defenders in the paint. Boddie, attempting a two-point shot on the returning play, charged against Cooper and was subbed out of the game for a short period of time.
The Corsairs were the first to reach 79, with Cready going 1-for-2 at the free throw line. Sophomore guard RJ Dawson was able to tie the game for the third time at 79-79 from an assisted pass from Boddie in the paint with Cooper and Garret-Mills attempting to swat the ball out. 1 minute and 5 seconds remained on the clock. Eagles fans erupted in cheers. Dawson was sent to the free-throw line for one shot; unsuccessful.
Key forward Raymond Watts found his way around the court to retrieve a pass from McCready, crossed over Dawson, and was fouled by Manning-Fuimaono attempting an underhand layup. He went 2-for-2 at the free-throw line giving the Corsairs their final lead of the game 81-79.
46.9 seconds remained on the clock. Freshman guard Kory Dodson pushed inside for 2 points. 81-81 tied with 27.9 seconds remaining.
Corsairs head coach Malik Bray called a timeout within their possession, giving both teams a chance to strategize. Watts resumed with the ball in hand from McCready, lifted up with a floating shot — no good.
In the final play of the game, Garrett-Mills pushed up in an attempt to help Cooper defend Boddie, who looked like he was pushing to drive inside. In a pass over both defenders, Boddie found Mosley wide open underneath the rim. Johnson jumped to beat him there, but the shot landed with 3.3 seconds remaining. The Eagles' sidelines and fans were out of their seats — Boddie and Mosley jumped up and hugged each other in excitement.
Both teams gathered again to strategize. The Corsairs remained in the game hustling and diving with hopes to regain the lead until the buzzer sounded. The finishing score for the game was 83-81.
“In those final moments when the game was tied, it’s definitely a mix of focus and intensity,” Cooper said after the game. “You’re aware that every possession counts, and taking those shots to separate the score means trusting your preparation and your teammates. I remember feeling a lot of adrenaline but also a calm determination to make the right play.”
When asked how it felt losing by 2 points he continued saying, “It’s tough. When a game is that close, it comes down to small details — execution, defense, and sometimes just a bit of luck. It’s disappointing, but it also motivates the whole team to come back stronger and learn from the experience.”
The Corsairs go for a road trip to meet the Santa Barbara Vaqs at their home gymnasium on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. To follow more of the men’s schedule visit 2025-2026 SMC Men's Basketball Schedule - Santa Monica College.