The562’s coverage of Jordan Athletics is sponsored by former LBUSD superintendent Chris Steinhauser.
The562’s coverage of Lakewood Athletics is sponsored by J.P. Crawford, Class of 2013.
In moments when they need to play their best basketball the Jordan boys’ basketball team simply shows up.
With playoff hopes on the line against Lakewood Thursday night, the Panthers looked like the team coming off of a CIF-SS championship as they stunned visiting Lakewood in a 67-56 win. Jordan’s win clinches the third seed in the Moore league, earning them a guaranteed playoff spot in CIF-SS Division 3AA bracket.
“Coming into this game we really thought, damn we need this one,” said standout guard Jaymari Redmond, who was a part of Jordan’s championship team a year ago. “We needed that third seed so I’m glad we were able to clinch it and come back to the playoffs and try to do it again, try to win another ring like last year.”
Jordan wasn’t the only team with a lot riding on the game as the Lancers were hunting for a share of their first Moore League title in almost two decades.
It was the Panthers who came out looking like they had the most to play for. Jordan took a lead with a three-pointer from Benjamin Taylor Jr. in the opening minute of the game and never trailed in a dominating performance.
“We’re a different team when we’re playing ahead,” said Jordan coach Chris Francis. “The thing for us was keeping it a possession or two game, with us up by a possession or two, and make them earn it.”
Jordan was able to increase their lead past just a possession or two and led by double digits after just the first half.
Coming out of the break, J-Town was able to continue their terror in the third and fourth quarters behind Jaymari Redmond’s 14 second-half points. Redmond played with a noticeably high pace for the whole game, and gave his team a huge momentum boost to help keep their lead.
“Sometimes I’ll go slow, but tonight I went fast, and you’re going to have to slow me down if you wanna guard me, so that’s all I can say,” said Redmond, who finished with a game-high 24 points. “I have two different ways to change my speed, I can go this way or I can go that way, but once I go I’m gone. You just gotta keep up.”
Jordan was without Redmond in their matchup against Poly last Friday, forcing the Panthers role players to come together in his absence. Just two games ago, Jordan found themselves two games back from third place having dug themselves a hole playing without the presence of their six-foot point guard. However, with Redmond back in the lineup for Jordan’s final two games, Francis said he became just the spark the team needed to get back into the third place spot.
“I just think we had a turning point in our season when we lost (Redmond) for the Poly game and I think it galvanized the rest of the guys,” said Francis. “I think it made the other guys trust each other a little more. He’s obviously the heart and soul of our team, but him missing that game kind of brought the rest of the guys back together. Then when you get your best player back it makes the attention to detail that much smoother, so I think that was the turning point for us losing him and then getting him back. He’s the heart and soul of our team.”
Jordan also found contributions from Taylor with 15 points, alongside Josh Gibson’s 12 points with three 3-pointers.
For Lakewood, Raphael Johnson scored 12 points while Anthony Williams chipped in 11. Despite their loss, the Lancers finished in second place in the Moore League after landing in third place just a season ago.
CIF Southern Section boys’ basketball brackets will be released Sunday.
