Historic! Livermore closes out suspended game, hands De La Salle first league loss in EBAL stunner

LIVERMORE — It took a week for the final four minutes to arrive. 

A week of waiting, replaying and wondering what would happen when the ball finally went back up in the air. On Tuesday night, inside a packed gym pulsing with nervous energy, Livermore High gathered to finish a game that had been frozen in time. 

And when those four minutes finally expired, the Cowboys had done the unthinkable, closing out a 51-45 win over De La Salle and sending a full student section flooding the floor in celebration.

The victory marked the first time that Livermore beat De La Salle in boys basketball in at least 20 years, a breakthrough that came under extraordinary circumstances after last week’s meeting was suspended with four minutes remaining due to a fight outside the gym. 

When play resumed, Livermore — long the East Bay Athletic League’s bottom-dweller but revived this season — leaned on Amari Chandler, who delivered basket after basket down the stretch. What followed was a release more than a result, as players rejoiced, fans embraced and a community rallied around a program that no longer resembles the one it once was.

“I’m kind of speechless because that’s probably one of my biggest wins, even though it was four minutes, it’s still a win,” Livermore coach Mike Tripp said.

Chandler finished with a game-high 29 points, which included hitting all 12 of his free throws. 

De La Salle was without starting point guard Ibrahim Monawar, who was out with sickness. Star big man Mariano Lopez-Aarden fouled out in the 28 minutes played last Tuesday, so he did not make an appearance during Wednesday’s continuation. 

“We had all day today to get ready for them and we just anchored down and played defense for four minutes,” Tripps said. “I love my team and they just play so hard.” 

Getting to those four minutes was its own challenge. Both Livermore and De La Salle played league games on Tuesday night, then turned around and less than 24 hours later to prepare for a finish that defied normal routines and preparation. 

Both coaches acknowledged that they didn’t quite know what to expect – how to handle emotions, fatigue or momentum from last week – adding another layer of uncertainty to an already unusual night. 

Tripp and De La Salle coach Marcus Schroeder both said their teams found time to go through a small walk through and a short film session, but preparing for a game that was partially played last week was something that was difficult to plan for.

“It was weird because one of our guys fouled out and Ibrahim was sick, so we didn’t have them,” Schroeder said. “So yeah it was really odd. I’m sure for Coach Tripp, who has been coaching for a long time, that he’s never been in one of these situations.” 

While a four-minute game on a Wednesday night would have been an excuse for Livermore’s student section to take the night off, the home fans filled a full row of bleachers. 

From the game’s opening play to the celebratory moment after the final buzzer sounded, Livermore’s crowd stayed engaged and was a big factor in making the game feel normal for the Cowboys. 

“Our student body is spectacular,” Tripp said. 

With the student section behind them, the Cowboys controlled the pace and put the ball in Chandler’s hands to lead them to victory. 

De La Salle scored the first bucket of the continued game as junior Olanre Owoborode banked home a layup to cut the deficit to one. 

But it was all Chandler from there. 

The sophomore standout knocked in an impossible left-handed hook shot that raised the lead back to three for Livermore. On the next possession, Chandler got fouled and sank two key free throws to put Livermore up five with under a minute to go. 

To close out the night, Chandler hit two more free throws to give Livermore a six-point lead with under five seconds left. 

He scored 14 of his 29 points in the final period. 

“He’s a special player,” Schroeder said of Chandler. “He’s such a good shooter. We played great defense and he flipped that shot in with his left hand. I don’t know if I could have asked for better defense from our guys. He’s one of the best players in the Bay Area and he’s only a sophomore.” 

While Wednesday’s game had some increased security, the backdrop of what happened last week was still fresh on the minds of both teams. 

“I’m just praying for all the people that were affected and impacted, especially the person that was hurt in the incident,” Schroeder said. “I’m just glad the teams were safe last Tuesday and it just put everything in perspective.” 

The fight occurred in the hallway of Livermore’s gym near the front entrance, which left a Livermore student badly injured. The Livermore Police Department said last week that they didn’t find any evidence of a firearm being involved, despite some rumours that were being circulated online. 

Dating back to 2009, Livermore had played De La Salle 24 times going into Wednesday. The Cowboys fell short in each contest by nine more points or more. On Wednesday night, Livermore gave De La Salle its first league loss of the season and notched a key win for North Coast Section seeding. 

But for De La Salle, the regular season league title was won yesterday against Monte Vista. Regardless of what happens on Friday against California, the Spartans will be the top seed in the East Bay Athletic League tournament.

Schroeder said he will not rest any of his players, despite locking up the top seed in the league tournament and the regular season title. 

For Livermore, the historic win is just another chapter in what has been a stellar season. 

The Cowboys ended their 12-year, 121-game EBAL losing streak when they defeated Amador Valley to open league play. Livermore, currently 17-8, also picked up a win over West Catholic Athletic League team Sacred Heart Cathedral earlier this season. 

Even as Tripp was already thinking about Friday’s game against Granada, the longtime coach soaked in what Wednesday’s win meant for his program and the Livermore community. 

“They came out ready to play. We prepared them right and anytime anyone beats De La Salle that’s big,” Tripp said.