WEST LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Interstat) — A surging West Los Angeles Wildcats squad will host a struggling Santa Monica Corsairs team in a California Community College men’s basketball matchup on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026.

The Wildcats (17-7) enter on a four-game winning streak and sit in strong position within the conference. The Corsairs (5-19), meanwhile, are mired in a nine-game losing skid dating to Jan. 10.

West Los Angeles won the previous meeting this season, 85-80 at Santa Monica on Jan. 28. In that game, Wildcats guard Malachi Knight scored 12 points in 25 minutes. Knight has since elevated his play dramatically, averaging 22.2 points over his last five contests. He is coming off a 27-point performance in a 78-66 win over Canyons on Feb. 14.

Santa Monica will look to forward Ka’mari Johnson to provide a spark. Johnson posted a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds against Bakersfield on Jan. 31 and nearly had another with 11 points and seven rebounds in the Jan. 28 loss to West Los Angeles. In the Corsairs’ most recent game, a 74-59 loss at Antelope Valley on Feb. 14, Johnson had nine rebounds and seven points.

The Wildcats have found consistent scoring beyond Knight. In the win over Canyons, Jase Stewart added 18 points and nine rebounds. The team has shown resilience, winning three of its last four games by single digits, including a 76-71 road victory at Antelope Valley on Feb. 11.

Santa Monica’s lengthy slump includes several high-scoring defeats, such as a 100-83 loss to Citrus on Feb. 11 and a 147-85 loss to the same opponent on Jan. 17. Jerrell McCready led the Corsairs with 18 points in the Feb. 14 loss.

Friday’s contest tips off at 7 p.m. PST at West Los Angeles College. The Wildcats will aim to solidify their standing, while the Corsairs seek a desperately needed upset to halt their prolonged slide.