Freshman guard Ekham Sandhu stood on the perimeter. He was out of breath. It was his first game this season in the starting lineup. The score was tied 14-14, and he had something to show.
His head came back up and his opportunity came fast. He leaped in front of the Colts guard, his right hand securing the ball. On a fast break, he sprinted down the remainder of the court for an easy layup.
Then it was Jaden Woodard’s turn.
After his last performance, a lopsided loss to San Francisco, he needed to regain his footing. In the same fashion as Sandhu, Woodard was able to replicate the moment. The details.
Sandhu wasn’t done. The same exact thing happened again. 20-14 Las Positas. A sandwich of identical opportunities–the meeting point between a leader and a rising key contributor.
Following a tough 78-59 loss to the City College of San Francisco, the 19-2 Las Positas men’s basketball team picked up a win at home over Cañada, 89-60, on Jan. 30.It saw the Hawks return to their prior form.
The resurgence was fueled by unlikely contributors. A pre-game injury to usual starter Jonathan Chapple pushed Sandhu into the starting lineup. Starting big man Ted Bigg-Wither was also forced out mid-game. The task to get the Hawks back on track fell on their subs.
They responded.
“I love Ekham, I’m proud of him,” boasted Head Coach James Giacomazzi postgame.
Their performance encapsulated the depth of the roster. With these Hawks, everyone pitches in. As the season winds down and the postseason nears, that depth becomes even more important.
Big Withers Injury took place in the first half, at Woodard’s fault, but Ely Willis came in. But the rest was history, as Giacomazzi seems to have a new style on lockdown.
The first half was another cakewalk for the 19-2 Hawks. Despite the line-up adjustment, with Sandhu starting, the Hawks looked comfortable.
“We trust him,” Giacomazzi said. “I think it’s a great addition to what we’re trying to do.”
Woodard was responsible for the first eight points. It’s easier to find footing again after a hard loss against San Francisco, where he folded under the pressure of an elite team. “When we got buried like that, we kind of had to show it’s a statement bounce-back game,” said Woodard.
Two nights prior, the Hawks were shown the gap between a potential contender and a proven champion. The Rams’ size, athleticism, and defense shut down the Hawks’ offense and erased their usual rebounding skills. The loss was a wake-up call for Las Positas as the postseason approaches.
But one wrong move can change a game. During play, there was traffic under the net, and Woodard ended up hitting Bigg Wither in the face. Him then benched for the rest of the game.
Bigg-Withers’ absence created a divot that Giacomazzi had to fill fast. He needed a plan, and quick.
“I don’t like playing without him,” Giacomazzi said. “When he’s not in you, you can feel it.”
Bigg Wither, the 6’9 Australian guard, ranks fourth in the Coast-North conference for rebounds and Third for blocks. “He settles in everybody, because he’s the anchor defensively, if you will. So when we didn’t have his real protection and him around the basket, it made it easier for people to get to the room and finish. So, yeah, we missed him a bit”. Giacomazzi said
The first half featured two layups by Sandhu, both products of turnovers by Canada. Not only that, but a trio of three-point shots by Isaiah Minor. By the time there were three minutes left, the Colts were winded and had been outrun by the Hawks.
But Woodard smiles through it all. Laughing it off. “Feel like I play the best when I’m just out there having fun,” Woodard said. “When I come in with the mindset, just have fun, just have fun, it all ends up working out.”
Kodey Weary totaled eight points in the second half, right behind Woodard, who had 12. A successful night, but at what cost?
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TOP PHOTO: After the second straight turnover by Las Positas’s defence, Ekam Sandhu (No. 23) gets up for his second finger-roll layup in 45 seconds. Turning the tide — in the freshman’s first start for Las Positas — Sandhu scored 10 points against visiting Canada on Jan. 30, 2026, in Livermore, Calif. ((Photo by Ian Kapsalis/ The Express)
Annie Moore is the Sports Editor of The Express. Follow her on X @SanJosAnnie.
