By Rosa Martinez Rodriguez/reporter

The Bandits faced stiff competition Saturday on SE Campus. However, with teamwork and perseverance, they managed to pull through and attain the 3-on-3 Hoops championship.

Joshua Anduha, SE sophomore and Bandits captain, scored the last-minute point that won his team the championship, 20-19. Marcus Campbell, also known as “Big Mark,” scored two- and three-pointers throughout the game.

“We practice three or four times a week for three hours long,” Campbell said.

Spectators shouted during the championship game. And for a brief moment, tension heightened when a Spartan accidentally ripped the T-shirt off a Bandit before officials got hold of the situation.

Campbell played basketball in high school, but when he got injured, he was forced to stop for a year to heal. Now he is back, he said.

Campbell said when people make noises whether they are cheering or booing him, it only energizes him more.

Before the Bandits faced the Spartans, they met with the JTC team. Once again, this close game ended in the last minute with the Bandits scoring the winning points, 15-14.

“Our team might not show up to school the next day,” Anduha said if they had lost the first game.

Anduha said JTC had strong players. However, he thought his team had more of an advantage because of his players’ abilities.

He said that the secret for a good team is good athleticism, drive and diversity of skills.

“The game means a lot,” he said. “You can learn discipline and things like that nature. It keeps young minds off the negativity.”

In addition, he thinks that any sport helps people’s health, and it helps people focus their energy on something positive, thus, creating a better environment.

While the Bandits celebrated their victory, others expressed disappointment.

Sean Hall headed Do Work, one of the defeated teams, who ended play with an 18-14 loss.

“[Basketball] means the world to me besides my girlfriend … it’s life to me,” Hall said. “I play until I can’t play no more.”

He also thinks TCC should offer more sports like this because they provide good workouts.

A total of 10 teams showed up with a couple of players signing up at the last minute. Four officials were present to keep order.

The Bandits will battle to retain their championship teams from the other three campuses April 11 on South Campus.