High School

Splash, splash 40! Livermore's sensational sophomore hits two buzzer-beating 3s to key another historic win

Amare Chandler sends game into overtime, then wins NCS road playoff game with two daggers en route to a 40-point outburst

Mitch Stephens

A slam dunk of a season for Livermore High School and super sophomore Amare Chandler continued Tuesday in North Coast Section Division 1 playoff action. Chandler hit two three-point buzzer-beaters and scored 40 points leading Cowboys to a historic win.
A slam dunk of a season for Livermore High School and super sophomore Amare Chandler continued Tuesday in North Coast Section Division 1 playoff action. Chandler hit two three-point buzzer-beaters and scored 40 points leading Cowboys to a historic win. / Photo courtesy of Bob Bronzan/Livermore-Granada Boosters

SAN RAMON, Calif. —  There’s been loads of talk and speculation about the future of Amare Chandler, a super sophomore for Livermore High School’s rising but hardly renowned boys basketball program. 

On Tuesday, he cemented his lofty reputation for the here and now and for his Cowboy teammates,  friends and faithful. 

In a season of firsts, highlight reels and wild celebrations, the 6-foot-6 super shot scored a career-high 40 points, making a three-pointer to send the game into overtime and wrapping a green and gold bow on a historic 83-80 North Coast Section Division 1 playoff victory at California-San Ramon by swishing the game-winning three-pointer from the left wing with less than two seconds to play. 

121-GAME STREAK ENDS | Livermore ends 14-year drought

A desperation heave from the backcourt was nowhere close, and Chandler skipped off the court, screaming to the rafters before being mobbed by teammates, classmates and coaches, all in celebration of Livermore’s first road NCS win since at least the turn of the century.   

Chandler had earlier this season led the Cowboys to their first East Bay Athletic League victory in 14 seasons (a span of 121 games) and first-ever victory over round-robin EBAL champion De La Salle-Concord. Additionally, their 18-9 record is the best this century, making this something of a dream season — one Chandler simply didn’t want to end. He went 12 of 19 from the field, making six three-pointers, and adding 11 rebounds and three steals.

“Yes, this was for the seniors because those are my boys,” he said. “I cannot let them down.” 

(Technically) foul trouble

There were two key points that it looked like he might. 

Once was midway through the third quarter when he picked up two quick fouls to give him three overall. When a referee called him for a technical foul while he was standing in the lane waiting for a California player to shoot a free throw, he suddenly had four personals, one from being ejected. 

Chandler said he’s never been called for a technical and he was simply venting to a teammate. 

“I’m not going to lie, I was scared,” he said. “I was kind of scared on the defensive end. I didn’t want to foul out and let my team down.”

He had carried the Cowboys in the first half of the third with a layup, midrange jumper and three-pointer, but then had to sit. California (14-13), which had beat Livermore at home 69-59 during the EBAL season, began to take control behind the versatile, skilled, offensive displays of Jaiden Jones (28 points), Santa Clara-bound Brayde Kuykendall (26 points) and Emeka Ifediora (18 points). 

The Grizzlies went on a 14-5 run, finished with a driving fastbreak dunk by the powerful 6-2, 200-pound Jones, a transfer from Dublin. 

When Jones sent down the dunk he gave diminutive, but highly effective 5-8 junior guard Ryder Shah-Welch a stare down. A referee didn’t like the look and gave Jones a technical foul. 

Just like Chandler, it was Jones’ fourth foul. 

No warning

Shah-Welch, who scored 15 vital points after going scoreless the first time the team’s met, sank both foul shots and CT Harper (10 points), canned a baseline jumper, giving Livermore back the momentum and the lead, 50-46 heading into the fourth. 

“How about giving Jones a warning there,” California coach Steve Ohlmeyer said. “He didn’t say a word. That was a huge call.” 

Not only for momentum’s sake, but now Jones, like Chandler, had to play the fourth quarter somewhat tentatively, each saddled with four fouls. Each was aggressive offensively as Jones drilled two quick 3-pointers and Chandler sank a jumper and a driving layup. 

Jones even guarded Chandler, which turned out ill-advised.

He was called for a soft fifth foul while Chandler went to the basket with 1:25 remaining. Not only was Jones out of the game, but Chandler made both free throws (he was 8-for-8 on the night) to tie the game at 66-66. 

After Kukendall made two free throws, Chandler let himself and the squad down for the second time, driving in for an uncontested backhand layup. But switching the ball from his right to left hand, he somehow missed the layup, leading to a giant groan from the Livermore faithful. 

Uncontested disbelief

Chandler grabbed his own head in disbelief. 

“They had blocked my right-handed shot the last time,” Chandler said. “At the last moment I just went to the left.” 

When Ifediora split two free throws with 24.6 seconds left making it 69-66, Livermore had just one option.    

From the left side, working one-on-one against 6-3 sophomore Logan Weger, Chandler drove hard to his right toward the top of the key. He skidded to a stop, stepped back and let a 3-pointer go from 22-feet.

Nothing but net with five seconds to go. 

“I saw how the defender’s feet were moving,” Chandler said. “He’s kind of jumpy so all I had to do was go and snap back, which I did and I got the shot off clean.” 

With no timeouts, Kuykendall dribbled three-quarters court before throwing up a controlled floater while taking off just behind the three-point line. It bounced off the iron, sending the game to overtime. 

"This was a microcosm of our season," said Ohlmeyer, whose team jumped to a 14-4 lead to start. "At times we looked like we could beat any team around. But then we'd let up and run into bad stretches. I still thought we would pull it out."

Get out of his way

In overtime, Harper went right to work with a baseline drive and layup, followed by a three-pointer to give Livermore a 77-72 lead (Livermore made 14 3s overall). California responded with six straight, capped by a layup from Ifediora to go up 78-77 with less than a minute left. 

But Livermore’s Dylan Wherry (10 points) made perhaps his biggest play of the season with a driving layup while being fouled. He converted the three-point play to go up 80-78 with 37.8 seconds left. 

When Ifediora tied it 80-80 with two free throws and 15.8 seconds left, there was no question who the ball was going to. 

As he did all night, Shah-Welch made the smart play, dribbling strongly to just beyond half court and handing the ball to Chandler, who dribbled to the left flank, while working one-on-one against another big sophomore, 6-4 Nonso Ifediora, Emeka’s younger brother. 

“I saw he was backing up,” Chandler said. “He was kind of flat-footed, so I either had to go to the rim or pull up.” 

With four fouls, going to the rim could have been chancey. But that’s not why Chandler decided to shoot the three, well behind the line, right in front of his coach Mike Tripp.  

“If I went inside I think I probably would have been doubled and I couldn’t take the last shot,” he said. “In those situations, I feel I should have the ball and take the last shot.” 

No arguments from any of his teammates or Livermore fans. 

40-year, 40-point wonder

He said it was the first game-winner of his prep career, which will continue Friday in a quarterfinal game at another EBAL rival, Amador Valley-Pleasanton. The Dons have a score to settle with the Cowboys. 

Livermore broke its 121-game EBAL losing streak with a 74-63 home win over the Dons on Jan. 9. Chandler had 27 in that game and Tripp, in his 40th season as a high school coach, said “He’s the best and most talented player I’ve ever had.”

That’s why many think, or in the case of Livermore fans, worry that Chandler may be looking for a bigger private school to attend his final two high school seasons. Even an academy school, out of state. 

That surely was the last thing on his mind Tuesday when asked what has made this season at Livermore so special. 

“We just all connect,” he said. “We all hang out outside of practice or when we’re in the locker room chatting it up. We have great (chemistry) and great coaching. Our seniors have been playing together since their freshman year and they know each other inside out. I came on last year and I showed how I can help them win some games.”

Those would be some historic games, to boot.

See all NCS playoff games here

NORTH COAST SECTION PLAYOFFS | Brackets, scores, schedules

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Mitch Stephens
MITCH STEPHENS

Mitch Stephens is a senior editor at SBLive Sports for California, a state he's covered high school sports since 1984. He won multiple CNPA and CPSWA writing awards with the Contra Costa Times, San Francisco Chronicle and MaxPreps.com before joining the SBLive staff in 2022. He's covered the beat nationally since 2007, profiling such athletes as Derrick Henry, Paige Bueckers, Patrick Mahomes, Sabrina Ionescu, Jayson Tatum, Chiney Ogwumike, Jeremy Lin and Najee Harris as preps. You can reach him at mitch@scorebooklive.com.

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