CMC Men Battle Back, Defeat Chaffey 91–85 in Overtime Thriller

The Copper Mountain College men's basketball team returned to the win column in dramatic fashion Wednesday night, grinding out a 91–85 overtime victory on the road against Chaffey College.

The Fighting Cacti set the tone early, playing with pace and purpose on both ends of the floor. Copper Mountain moved the ball efficiently, attacked the rim, and relied on its patented match-up zone defense to disrupt the Panthers' offensive rhythm. The effort paid off as CMC built a 35–25 lead heading into halftime.

Coming out of the break, the Cacti maintained their energy and quickly stretched the lead to as many as 16 points. However, as the second half wore on, Copper Mountain slipped into cruise control while Chaffey turned up the intensity. The Panthers methodically erased the deficit, capitalizing on a late surge and a few crucial missed free throws by the Cacti to claw their way back into the game.

With less than four seconds remaining in regulation, Chaffey converted a quick backdoor basket to tie the score at 75–75, sending the contest into overtime.

During the timeout, Head Coach JJ Santa Cruz refocused his group with a simple message: the final five minutes would be about defense and having fun. The Cacti responded exactly as instructed. Copper Mountain outscored Chaffey 16–10 in overtime, fueled by timely defense and clutch finishes at the rim. Key layups by Torey Woods and Devin Taylor sealed the road victory.

The Fighting Cacti were led by a dominant all-around performance from Amarion Wallace, who recorded 18 points, 17 rebounds, and 7 assists. Makail Cotto added 18 points, while DJ Ralston chipped in 16 and Tyrece Rose contributed 14, giving Copper Mountain four players in double figures.

Copper Mountain now turns its attention to another critical Inland Empire Athletic Conference matchup, traveling to Barstow College this Saturday to take on the Vikings at 3:00 p.m.