OAKLAND — Inside a buzzing McClymonds gymnasium, Granada played with the confidence of a team that knows itself again.
The Matadors beat Fremont-Oakland 72-70 in overtime on Saturday afternoon at the Double Goal Coaches Classic, extending a start that has proven that the Livermore school can be contenders in the East Bay Athletic League once again.
The Tigers rallied from an early double-digit deficit, but Granada hit every big shot at the end of regulation and in overtime to seal a solid non-league win.
Brandon Hahn had a monster game, scoring 25 points and hauling in 15 rebounds.
Fremont guard Roy Bishop Jr. scored 20 points in the loss.
“We practiced this yesterday, being down and trying to come back,” Granada coach Quaran Johnson Sr. said. “I wasn’t really nervous being out in this situation because we practiced it. It was just really exciting to see it all come to fruition on the floor.”
Johnson’s son, Quaran Johnson Jr., scored 16 points, including the game-tying jumper at the end of regulation.
Johnson is back on the Granada bench after taking a leave of absence from the team last season to care for his newborn child.
Through 10 games this season, Johnson’s leadership had proved to put Granada back to its winning ways. The Livermore school went 8-19 in 2024-25 and missed the postseason.
But after beating Fremont on Saturday, the Matadors have now started the season winning eight of its first 10 games.
“In so many ways, they needed last season,” Johnson said. “They knew what it felt like to lose and the residue that stayed with them just didn’t sit right. So this season is all about getting back to our culture. It didn’t continue when I stepped down, and so we have to get back to that and the rest will take care of itself.”
Granada led by as much as 14 in the first half behind solid execution in its motion offense.
The one-two-punch of Johnson Jr. and Hahn combined for 19 of Granada’s 34 first-half points.
But after a sluggish start, Fremont used a trapping full-court press to come within six points of Granada’s advantage in the second quarter.
The Matadors led by 10 at halftime.
Despite not hitting many shots from the field, Fremont slowly chipped away at the Matadors’ lead.
The Tigers had a big fourth quarter, outscoring the Matadors 24-16. With just under 40 seconds left, sophomore Josiah Arteberry hit two free throws to put Fremont up three.
Johnson Jr. had a tough final period, turning the ball over twice and missing four-of-six free throw attempts.
But when his team needed him most, the freshman delivered.
Johnson hit a contested pull-up jumper with 6.7 seconds left in regulation to tie the game, and the Matadors forced a stop on the other end to force overtime.
“I was missing all my free throws, so I knew if I had the last shot I had to hit it,” Johnson Jr. said.
In the extra period, it was all Granada.
Up two with just over a minute left, freshman Malcom Davis hit a clutch corner three-pointer to put Granada up 69-64.
From there, the Matadors hit just enough free throws to put the game away.
Granada is just three years removed from being in the CIF Division I state title game. Two years ago, the Matadors were in the NorCal regional final.
Despite going through a rebuild last season, the Matadors are eyeing a trip back to the state finals.
“A state championship is what our goal is,” Hahn said. “We have to win the EBAL first, but if we’re going to keep going like this, who knows?”
No. 9 Amador Valley 57, No. 15 Oakland Tech 50
Oakland Tech gave a valiant effort, but the Bulldogs ran out of time as Amador Valley notches a signature non-league win. Oakland Tech brought a 20-point second-half deficit down to just three in the fourth quarter. Amador Valley’s Elijah Stanley sealed the game with a key block, and the Dons drained just enough free throws to ice the game. “A win like this gives us confidence to keep moving forward,” Amador Valley point guard Jaylen Smith said. “We’ll play even harder and build our hunger.”
Ygnacio Valley 67, McClymonds 62
Senior Jestus Akudinobi scored 21 points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked four shots to lead Ygnacio Valley to a five-point win over host McClymonds. The Wolves trailed by four going into the final quarter, but an 18-0 run to open the final period put the Concord school in the driver’s seat. Senior center Josiah McCombs had a team-high 13 points to go along with seven rebounds for the Warriors, who dropped to 2-6.
Pinole Valley 88, Elite-Vallejo 49
Pinole Valley extended its undefeated win streak to seven games behind 14-point performances from DeAri Simmons and Amar Tudinovic. The Spartans jumped out to a 35-12 lead after the first quarter and didn’t look back. Senior Jaylin Reed added 12 points for Pinole Valley, which will host Vallejo on Monday.
Head-Royce 65, Vallejo 33
The Jayhawks made quick work of Vallejo, building off a 18-point halftime lead to cruise to their fifth win of the season. Freshman point guard Tua Montoya won player of the game as he scored 15 points. Fellow freshman Tucker Peay stuffed the stat sheet, scoring seven points, grabbing eight rebounds, dishing out four assists, blocking four shots and recording five steals. Junior shooting guard Nick Taubes added 12 points.