Merced Defeats Gavilan Basketball Players in Season Opener

There was a somber atmosphere prior to game time at the Gavilan College gym as the Rams men's basketball team prepared to play its first non-division game against Merced College on Wednesday night.

Gavilan was starting the season with three of its starting players out of the game following a on Nov. 6. 

Both teams, as well as the audience, observed a brief moment of silence for Andrel Gaines and Billy Heard, who remain hospitalized as a result of the accident. They then sang the National Anthem.

The game started with Merced jumping out to a dominating seven-point lead. It took the Rams a few minutes to get their first-game jitters out of the way, as they missed several shots and lost the ball due to turnovers.

Gavilan freshman and sophomore forwards Stanley Morgan and Jordan Ramirez hit back-to-back three-point shots, and were led by five free-throw points from Ramirez as the Rams went into the locker room at halftime down 38-22.

The Rams came out in the second half in a shooting frenzy making seven three-point field goals, including three from sophomore forward Zack Smith and two from freshman guard Matt Johnson. 

However, it wasn't enough, as the size and speed of Merced helped them trounce Gavilan 68-47.

Ramirez led the Rams in scoring with 18 points, while Smith finished with 12 points.

At the end of the game, Ramirez praised his teammates for helping to create opportunities for him to play well on Wednesday night.

“My teammates got me open and they created shots for me,” Ramirez said. “We had to slow down our pace to get good shots."

Ramirez also said his team wanted to come out and get a win for his teammates, Gaines, Heard and sophomore Davontea Johnson. Johnson was also a passenger in the Nov. 6 collision, and was on the Gavilan sideline in a leg cast.

“It was very difficult playing tonight,” Ramirez said. “We wanted to come out and play for them. They were in the back of our minds the whole time. We were playing like they were still on the bench with us."

Gavilan Coach Tito Addison said his team did a good job considering the circumstances they were playing under, and said they had been through a lot of emotions leading up to the first game.

“We got thrown into a whirlwind,” Addison said. “We were playing without three of our starters and with guys who usually don’t see a lot of minutes. They weren’t hitting the open shots that they should make.”

Johnson said he is recovering and is dealing with the tragedy of his two friends in the hospital as best he can.

“My leg is recovering pretty good,” Johnson said. “I’ve been resting a lot and trying not to think about the accident.”

Freshman guard Gaines remains in San Francisco General Hospital on life-support while freshman forward Heard is also in SF General in fair condition, according to the hospital Chief Communications Officer Rachael Kagan. Gavilan College Athletic Director Ron Hannon said Heard's condition is improving.

The Rams will move on to play Canada College on Saturday, Nov. 19, at 5 p.m. in Redwood City.