Bakersfield College men’s basketball team defeated College of the Canyons 69-65 in overtime on Feb. 7. With the win, the Renegades got back to .500 (11-11). The result snapped a six-game losing streak by the Renegades, as their last win had come on Jan. 13, ironically enough against Canyons.
It was a defensive affair between both teams, as they combined for 22 steals and five blocks. Both teams shot under 40% for the entire game. Canyons remained within striking distance thanks to 29 free throw attempts compared to BC’s 18.
The cold shooting night from both squads began instantly, as the score was only 8-6 in BC’s favor after the first seven minutes. BC used a 10-0 run late in the half to jump to a 27-17 lead after both teams kept struggling offensively.
The Renegades limited the Cougars to 30% from the field in the first 20 minutes as they built a 35-26 lead at halftime. In the 2nd half, neither team could pull away, and the game remained closed throughout.
The last few seconds of regulation delivered some drama, as guard Kemonte Jackson hit what seemed to be the game winning shot with one second left. However, a questionable foul call was made on the ensuing inbounds play by Canyons. Cougars guard Jeremiah Walker made both free throw attempts to send the game into overtime tied at 57.
In overtime, both teams kept exchanging points until BC pulled away for good when guard Andrew Hill scored to give the home team a four-point lead with 90 seconds left.
Jackson led all BC scorers with 15 points to go along with seven rebounds. Guard Malik Petty scored 14 and added six rebounds to his tally.
In the losing effort, Canyons forward Mason Savery had 24 points and six rebounds. The Cougars dropped to 8-15 on the season.
The Renegades head down the home stretch of the season. With only five games left in the regular season, there is little margin for error before postseason play. Their next home game is Glendale on Feb. 14.