The562’s coverage of Long Beach Poly Athletics for the 2025-26 school year is sponsored by Former Jackrabbits Wendell “WoWo” Moe, Jr. & Tyson Ruffins.
The562’s coverage of Jordan Athletics is sponsored by former LBUSD superintendent Chris Steinhauser and the Timu Foundation.
Heading into Friday night’s contest against Long Beach Poly the Jordan girls’ basketball team knew their Moore League title hopes rested solely in their hands.
The Panthers made the most of their chance as they shook off a rough shooting performance in the first half with a solid third quarter as they defeated the Jackrabbits, 35-20.
Jordan hosts Wilson on Tuesday to try to secure at least a share of the Moore League title.
“Tonight was all about defense,” Jordan coach Wes Rosenbaum said. “We knew it was going to be a gritty game. Coach (Carl) Buggs is such an excellent coach you can never relax. I told the girls this is going to be a boxing match.”
Early in the first quarter the Panthers jabbed first as they jumped out to an early 5-0 lead thanks to Janiah Loran who scored all five. However, Long Beach Poly countered with an 8-3 run to end the first tied at 8.
The two teams went back and forth with a mix of turnovers and missed shots but Maykayla Lumpkin made a shot to give the Jackrabbits a 15-13 lead at the break.
Jordan turned up the defense in the third quarter as they shifted defenses and started making shots as Lorn brought her total to 13 points in the night as she’d finish with 16. After Poly took a 15-13 lead, the Panthers went on a 12-3 run to take a 25-18 lead.
Jordan’s defensive pressure continued in the final period as they held the Jackrabbits to one basket. Keira Vindel and Mila Hunt were relentless inside the paint as they were able to snag rebounds to give the offense second chances and made shots difficult for the Poly guards as they slashed into the lane.
“We wanted to make sure we got some pressure on them,” Rosenbaum said of frustrating Poly’s guards. “I think that was the difference. We could sense they were vulnerable so we came out with a lot of pressure.”
Poly wraps up the regular season when they host Cabrillo on Tuesday.
