Owls Survive OT Thriller to Top West Los Angeles 95–92

No. 3 in the state ranked Citrus College narrowly defeated No. 18 in the state ranked West Los Angeles College 95–92 in overtime on Saturday, January 24.

With the win, the Owls extended their winning streak to 14 games, improving to 19–1 overall and a perfect 6–0 in conference play. West Los Angeles falls to 13–7 overall and 3–3 in conference.

After shooting 14-of-30 from the field and 5-of-19 from three while forcing seven turnovers in the first half, Citrus held a 41–37 lead at halftime. Leo Ricketts led all first-half scorers with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 from three.

The second half remained evenly matched, with both teams efficient offensively and the Owls converting all 16 of their second-half free throws. After West LA went ahead 82–80 with under a minute remaining in regulation, Amiri Meadows calmly sank two free throws to tie the game at 82 and send it into overtime. In the extra period, Dev Hamilton, JJ Sanchez, and Meadows made clutch baskets and free throws to help Citrus hold on for the 95–92 road victory.

Overall, the Owls shot 51.0% from the field (26-of-51), including 36.8% from three (7-of-19), and were nearly perfect at the line, hitting 33-of-37 free throws (89.2%). West LA shot 60% from the field but made only 3-of-10 from deep and 17-of-23 at the line. Citrus held an advantage in points off turnovers (20–12), second-chance points (9–4), and forced 16 West LA turnovers while committing 13 of their own. West LA dominated in the paint with 56 points compared to Citrus' 30, and the teams combined for 12 ties and 13 lead changes, making for a back-and-forth thriller and an intruguing rematch when the Owls host the Wildcats at home for thier final regular season home game of the season on February 18.

Citrus was led by Leo Ricketts, who posted a team-high 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including 5-of-9 from three, while adding 2 assists. Dev Hamilton contributed 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting, along with 5 rebounds and JJ Sanchez added 14 points with perfect free-throw shooting (8-of-8) and 2 assists. Amiri Meadows chipped in 12 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, and crucial free throws down the stretch. Off the bench, Alek Sanchez scored 12 points with 6-of-6 from the line and grabbed 6 rebounds, while Rockwell Reynolds added 12 points, 4 rebounds, and a block. The balanced scoring and strong free-throw shooting helped Citrus hold on for the 95–92 overtime win.

Citrus returns home on Wednesday, January 28, to host Glendale College in a 5 p.m. conference matchup.