The562’s coverage of Jordan Athletics is sponsored by former LBUSD superintendent Chris Steinhauser and the Timu Foundation.
The Jordan Panthers know what it feels like to score a game-winning basket just before the final buzzer sounds. They did it twice late in the season to climb into third place in the Moore League and secure their playoff futures.
After their CIF-SS Division 4 quarterfinal against Shalhevet on Tuesday night, the Panthers also know how much it hurts to be on the other side.
After a ferocious second-half comeback, the Panthers came up just one second short against the visiting Firehawks, suffering a crushing 46-45 defeat at Browning High.
Shalhevet junior Ben Jacobson’s putback went off the glass as the final horn sounded, giving the visitors a walk-off win into the semifinals, while ending Jordan’s season in brutal fashion.
“We got in a position to win the game, but we should have never been in that position,” said Jordan’s interim head coach Jamaul Huff. “That comes with the inexperience and not knowing how to rebound at the end of the game, I guess that’s what you can say. But all year we fought. So that’s basically how our year went. All year we’ve been tough, going to the last minute, and that’s how it went down today.”
A basket by Jordan’s Malachi Burdette with 4:30 left to play put Jordan on top 39-38, and the teams traded baskets the rest of the night.
Shalhevet senior Sam Jacobson scored three consecutive baskets for his team to put the visitors on top, but each time Jordan responded with buckets of their own. Burdette, Samajay Jackson, and Alvino Duncan each did the honors of giving Jordan a one-point lead, setting up the dramatic final possession.
Duncan swished a baseline jumper in front of the Jordan bench, putting the Panthers on top 45-44 with only eight seconds on the clock. After Jordan gave a foul in the backcourt, the Firehawks had just five seconds to get a shot away.
After a long inbounds pass to Sam Jacobson, he was swarmed under the bucket, and got a shot attempt away with time ticking down. Replay showed that he jumped and landed before releasing the shot, which should have been called a travel. Instead, Ben Jacobson was able to collect the weak-side rebound and finish the uncontested putback as time expired.
Shalhevet also beat the buzzer to end the first half when Ben Jacobson’s corner three gave them a 25-17 advantage going into the locker room.
But Jordan came out gunning in the second half, increasing their defensive intensity with halfcourt traps that made it difficult for Shalhevet to get into their sets. The Panthers leaned on their junior “Big 3” of Jackson, Burdette, and Aaron Chiles, who helped lead a 14-0 run in that third quarter, putting J-Town on top 33-29.
Sam Jacobson led all scorers with 23 points, followed by Ben’s nine points.
Jordan got a team-high 14 points from Chiles, followed by a dozen from Burdette. Duncan had nine points and Jackson finished with eight.
The heartbreaking finish doesn’t change the success for the Panthers this season or their outlook for the future. Despite not having a home gym the entire year, and playing without their head coach for more than a month, Jordan was able to improve to third place in the Moore League and their top four scorers are all juniors who could be back even better next season.
“We don’t even know if we’ve got a future, we don’t even have a coach, so I don’t know what they’re gonna do,” said Huff after the loss. “But the boys fought all year, all we gotta do is just take this on the chin I guess.”
Shalhevet will advance to Friday’s semifinal round where they’ll host Colony.
