The Vaqueros men’s basketball team narrowly won 87-83 against a team of former City College players in the annual SBCC Classic tournament Thursday evening.
The team of graduates of the basketball program had people who had played on the Vaqueros team as early as 1981 and as recently as 2017.
The game was played with intensity from the start. The alumni showed their rust on the first possession of the game with an air-balled three, but quickly came back to surprise the youngins.
Adam Sjovold, a 1995 alumnus, was on a tare in the first half, draining deep threes, crossing over opponents with flashy dribbling and even hitting a Jordan-esque contested baseline fade away.
Heading into the second half, the alumni took a 44-35 lead, but it did not last long.
With a full court press and a newfound intensity, the Vaqueros ran the alumni out to take the lead and win, playing solid defense down the stretch.
“It was really fun being out there,” Adam Sjovold said after the game. “We had em’ on the ropes, but we ran out of gas,” he added.
The basketball veterans couldn’t keep up with the rookies in the end but they still gave the Vaqueros all they had.
“It was fun getting back into it, it’s only been a couple of years but I didn’t have access to all the great resources SBCC gives you,” 2017 alumnus Robert Hutchins said.
The Vaqueros will continue to play in the SBCC Classic Tournament Friday and Saturday, competing against Bakersfield Friday with Saturday’s opponent yet to be determined.
