ATHERTON, CA – Menlo Men's Basketball needed every last point from all three members of the team's 2025-26 senior class, guard Darrin Lum and forwards JaMaal Unuakhalu and Nick High, on Saturday as Haynes-Prim Pavilion faithful were treated to another thrilling win.

Though the Oaks faced a 45-33 halftime deficit, they battled back with a crucial 10-2 run during the final five minutes of regulation to close out the season on a victorious note, dramatically besting Vanguard 72-71 in the Pacific West Conference rematch.

"The last five minutes got really hectic, but we worked together and got stops," said Head Coach Jamison Montgomery. "Our guys are just so resilient– they never gave up and I'm so proud of my group."

Oaks Highlights
-Scoring a career-high 31 points, Nick High finished 11-for-14 from the field, 3-for-3 from distance, and 6-for-6 from the foul line with seven rebounds
-In addition to providing the game-winning tip-in, Defender of the Game Luke Wieskamp collected three blocks, two steals, two defensive rebounds along with 16 points and four triples
-Kai Brown knocked down three 3-pointers as part of his 20 points

Menlo Catches Fire, Shoots Over 53 Percent From Field In Second Half
Up by seven points approaching the midway point of the opening period, the Oaks' first three baskets all came from seniors including Lum's 3-pointer three minutes in. After Menlo converted high-percentage looks including by sophomore guard Quentin Thompson, however, Vanguard responded with 14 unanswered to force their own 22-15 advantage. Sophomore guard Kai Brown led the charge to keep the game around single digits before a dunk by freshman forward Luke Wieskamp in the last 10 seconds was countered by a buzzer-beating layup to make it 45-33 Lions at the break.

With 13 minutes left in regulation, Vanguard pushed a 17-point lead which was cut into by dunks from Unuakhalu and Thompson, the latter of whom threw another down moments later during a momentum-shifting 14-0 surge capped by consecutive layups by freshman guard Jamison "JD" Beesley and High. 

The Lions briefly attempted to fend off Oaks and the intensity of the environment inside Haynes-Prim Pavilion, but that suddenly changed when Brown knocked down a triple with just under three minutes left to give Menlo its first lead since the 10-minute mark in the opening half. The biggest shot of the afternoon came one possession later when Thompson broke the tie with his 3-pointer to beat the shot clock buzzer, giving Menlo its eventually permanent advantage in a 72-71 victory.

"[Vanguard] scored 45 points in the first half and we talked at halftime about how that was too many points," Montgomery said. "What was ironic is, in the locker room, I told our guys that Vanguard should have scored 26 points in the first half and that's how many they had in the second so credit to our guys for sticking to the gameplan and playing together."

Season In Review
Menlo's first season under Head Coach Jamison Montgomery saw the Oaks finish 5-23 overall and 5-17 in PacWest play, earning three victories inside Haynes-Prim Pavilion including a thrilling 99-98 win hosting Chaminade on Feb. 24.

The 2025-26 campaign was highlighted by multiple individual achievements as senior forward Nick High broke the program's career blocks record and senior forward JaMaal Unuakhalu bettered the Menlo single-season blocks record by 17 rejections.

"Regardless of the wins and losses, we're trying to build a winning culture and those two wins in our last two games against two teams that were trying to make the playoffs; that's the type of culture we're trying to bring," Montgomery said. "We love it here at Menlo, I love it here at Menlo; it's home for me and we're going to keep building this thing up the right way. I'm excited for next year and years to come."