Chaffey Mens’ Basketball Wins Nail-Biter Versus Cerritos
by Xavier Chavez
(Photo by Xavier Chavez)
Coming off back-to-back Inland Empire Athletic Conference Championships, the Chaffey Panthers headed into game one of the regular season with a target on their back. Playing at home on Oct. 31st, they faced off against the Cerritos Falcons, who came off a successful 2024 season, finishing with a record of 23-9.
Not only did the previous seasons set the standard for the players, but head coach Jeff Klein had just retired. Who comes in to take his place? Former assistant coach under Klein, now head coach, Mateo Vilakazi.
The starting lineup for the Panthers included guards Avery Garcia, Kameron Gardner and Semaj Morrison. The front court of Christian Walton and Kajuan Thomas finalized the rotation.
The game was a back-and-forth contest all night long, with Cerritos holding the halftime lead with a score of 45-36, largely due to their rebounding prowess. They beat Chaffey 53-33 in that category by the end of the game.
(Photo by Xavier Chavez)
However, Chaffey came out with a fiery passion following halftime. Coach Vilakazi devised a plan to run a full-court press on defense, with an aim to pressure the Falcons into turning the ball over. They forced two turnovers to start the half, leading to easy points. The Panthers had erased the lead and did not let the Falcons score until the 13:27 mark.
(Photo by Xavier Chavez)
A game of such competitiveness did not come without some tempers. At the 5-minute mark in the second half, a technical foul was assessed towards a Falcons player, and Chaffey’s Semaj Morrison drained both free throws, increasing their lead to 74-71.
Heading into the final minutes, Chaffey and Cerritos were continuing their back-and-forth battle, calling a hero to step up for the Panthers win.
Enter guard Avery Garcia, a sophomore who was making his way to the free throw line with ease, using his shifty crossovers to get to the rim throughout the second half. With just 11 seconds remaining the Panthers were down 2. Garcia caught an inbound pass from the baseline on the 3-point line, and hit the shot—nothing but net.
The crowd erupted, and Chaffey secured an 85-84 win after a last-second tip had miraculously rolled out of the basket for Cerritos. The Panthers celebrated their way to the locker room after the Halloween thriller.
(Photo by Xavier Chavez)
When asked about his level of confidence toward his final shot, Garcia praised his teammates for always telling him to shoot, which gave him the clear head that he needed to go for the win. Speaking on the feelings of hitting the game-winning shot for his team, he shared his excitement for the moment and the future of the team this season.
The Chaffey Mens' Basketball team continued their season on the road, Nov. 5 against Santa Ana.