On Thursday, Oct. 31, the Moorpark College men’s basketball team hosted the Fresno City College Rams in the Moorpark Invitational. This prestigious event serves as a prelude to their season officially beginning.
Before the game tipped off, Coach Keith Higgins spoke about his team’s 22-7 record (11-1 in conference) last year and how they plan to carry that success into this season.
“We just have to continue to build on what we had last year,” Higgins said. “I think our recruiting went well, but this year is different, and we must try and improve on what we did last year.”
The Raiders wanted to set a tone, get an early lead and take command. However, they did not start quite as hot as they had hoped. The team fell behind 10-5 early. These struggles would continue for the Raiders, as they found themselves down 21-14 with 10 minutes to go in the first half.
With a late surge in the first half, sophomore Dylan Hoyt recorded a block to ignite energy back into the team. Building upon the momentum shift, the Raiders returned to a tie with the Rams 34-34 heading into halftime. With all the momentum on their side going into the locker room, the inspired Raiders took a well-deserved break from the game.
The back-and-forth match play of the first half continued early in the second half. Newbury Park alum Cooper Lucas‘s sharp 3-point shooting, Dylan Hoyt’s rim protection and tough buckets in the paint allowed the Raiders to maintain their tie at 47-47 with fifteen minutes remaining in the second half.
The Raiders demonstrated their resilience time and time again, refusing to let adversity dictate the outcome of the game. This resilience was tested with less than eight minutes in the fourth quarter. The Raiders were now trailing by 12 points. Refusing to go quietly, the home team scratched and clawed their way back.
With just under two minutes left in the second half, the Raiders brought the lead down to three points. Returning sophomore guard Jordan Torres showcased his clutch gene with a giant bucket. The fans were on the edge of their seats as they felt their Raiders were on the verge of a comeback.
With the clock down to only 15 seconds left in regulation, the Raiders had the ball with a chance to win the game. Lucas was fouled during an inbounds pass, which sent him to the free-throw line for the most significant points of the night. Down to his final free throw, Lucas tied the game, sending the game to overtime in a late-night Halloween Thriller.
Leading up to the overtime period, it had been a back-and-forth match, and both teams had moments of control. Once the buzzer sounded for the extra period, however, the Raiders took the wheel. For the final two minutes, the Raiders were able to play keep-away to drain out the clock, ending in a 90-84 victory over Fresno.
Following their dramatic win over the Fresno Rams, assistant coach Rod Stinson was asked about his team’s ability to adjust and overcome.
“Today was a tough game, but we’re going to use it as a building block,” Stinson said. “We know that when we face challenges like this, we can overcome them by sticking together and playing with all our hearts.”
Arguably, the Raiders’ player of the game, Cooper Lucas, dropped a team-leading 25 points while showcasing his exceptional ball skills and instincts. Following the Raider’s come-from-behind victory, Lucas was asked about the incredible comeback after being down 14 late in the game.
“We remind each other of the hard work we put in during the offseason,” Lucas said. “We know we’re never out of the game, and it was our relentless defense that brought us back. Our coaches always tell us to make plays, and we have players who step up and make those plays. That’s what got us back into this game.”
After a game like this one, Raiders basketball fans should be prepared for a successful upcoming season. The Moorpark College Raiders have a promising roster of returning players and new recruits, with a strong coaching staff to boot. Exciting preseason games that are sure to have fans out of their seats and cheering for their Raiders will continue until January when the regular season officially begins.
