Canyons Falls 65-62 in Comeback Bid vs. West L.A.

College of the Canyons men's basketball vs. West L.A. College on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025.
February 18, 2025

By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director

College of the Canyons lost a heartbreaking 65-62 affair to visiting West L.A. College on Saturday after battling back from a late deficit.

Canyons (9-17, 5-7) trailed by 12 points with under six minutes to play and cut the lead to seven after Maurice Pitts' three-pointer made it a 65-58 ballgame at just over a minute to play. 

Later, it was Donovan Chapman draining a three-pointer with 14 ticks left on the clock to bring the Cougars within three at 65-62.  

As the final sequence played out Chapman was able to fire off a final shot at the buzzer, but it didn't fall as West L.A. (20-6, 11-1) escaped with the narrow victory. 

The Cougars outscored West L.A. in the second half but committed 24 turnovers in the game to limit those efforts. Canyons shot an even 40 percent from the floor and roughly 42 percent from beyond the arc for the game.

Pitts led the Cougars with 14 points, with Donovan Cornelius at 11 and Raz Orbach at 10 points both following suit. Chapman led the reserves with nine points. Cornelius also pulled down seven boards to lead the squad. 

West L.A. received 17 points from starter Jayden Hosein and 13 from reserve Chidubem Akametu in the victory. 

Canyons will close out its home schedule on Wednesday, Feb. 19, vs. Santa Monica College. The first 75 fans in attendance will receive a free 'Gold Rush' men's basketball T-shirt.

Wednesday's game will also be livestreamed to fans free of charge on the Cougars Sports Network.

Stay up to date on all this season's action by following the College of the Canyons Athletic department on social media at @COCathletics on X, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.   

—Photo by Carla Sophia Velasco/COC Sports Information