The562’s coverage of Jordan Athletics is sponsored by former LBUSD superintendent Chris Steinhauser and the Timu Foundation.
The562’s coverage of Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
Tuesday night’s game between Jordan and Wilson had all the feeling of a playoff basketball game–and in many ways, it was.
The winner was guaranteed to finish third place in the Moore League, receiving the automatic playoff berth that comes with it.
Everything came down to the final possessions, and a big shot by Wilson’s Nehemiah Parris tied the game with only 11 seconds to play. Unfortunately for the Bruins, that was more than enough time for Samajay Jackson.
Jordan’s junior captain took the ball at the top of the key, made a move to his right, and finished at the rim as time expired, lifting Jordan to a 64-62 victory at Compton College, and a spot in next week’s CIF-Southern Section playoffs.
“It felt real good,” said Jackson of his game-winner, and he explained that he feels an added responsibility as a leader while head coach Chris Francis is away from the program. “We had our struggles in the beginning (of the game), our coach is gone, so we’ve got to push through ourselves. And I’m the team captain, so I’ve got to take over certain things that the coach is not here for. So I just put the team on my back.”
Jackson scored a team-leading 16 points, and was key down the stretch, scoring six of Jordan’s last eight points in the closing minutes.. He was one of four Panthers in double-figures, joined by Aaron Chiles and Alvino Duncan with 13 and Malachi Burdette with a dozen.
Things didn’t go to plan for J-Town out of the gate, as they fell behind 18-11 after the opening quarter. But things quickly changed in the second, as the Panthers came out with renewed intensity, starting the quarter on a 13-2 run. Jordan would hold onto a 30-29 advantage at halftime, and neither team led by more than two scores the rest of the night.
Wilson was able to regain control of the game in the third quarter, led by junior big man Andre Alvarez-Smith. He scored 10 of his game-high 24 points in that third quarter, and was a mismatch for Jordan inside, whether he was slamming dunks on dribble-drives or cleaning up the offensive glass.
Burdette added some highlights of his own in that second half, with a pair of impressive dunks and a crucial and-one early in the fourth quarter that tied the game at 51. His stickback on the offensive glass gave the Panthers a 62-59 lead in the final minute, setting up Wilson’s need for a clutch three-ball late.
Parris was able to deliver for the visitors, and finished the night with 15 points for the Bruins, but Jackson was able to steal his thunder with the buzzer-beater on the other end.
“It was definitely a playoff game, both teams knew that coming in,” said Wilson head coach James Boykin. “They just made literally one more play than us down the stretch. It was a great game, man.”
Jackson said that the Panthers have been on a mission since their sixth-place finish a year ago, and that Tuesday’s win to get back into the playoffs was part of that process.
“We had to come back and prove a point,” Jackson stated. “We wanted first place, but we couldn’t get it, we’re gonna have to do it next year. Playoffs, we’ve got to make this run, take it one game at a time so we can win another CIF championship. Even though our coach is not here, it’s going to be for him.”
Jordan will await their postseason draw when the brackets are released Saturday morning, but for Wilson, they want to make sure their name is on the brackets.
The Bruins will face Cabrillo on Wednesday night, 6 p.m. at McBride High School, with the winner earning the coveted fourth-place finish in the Moore League. Coincidentally, it’s the second time in three years that the Bruins and Jags have squared off in this exact scenario. Two years ago, it was Cabrillo that came out on top with a 58-55 victory at Lakewood High.
While both rosters are very different this time around, Coach Boykin–and his counterpart Chris Spencer–know what it’s like to be in this position, and both programs have another game to prove themselves as playoff teams.
“Like I just told them, right now, we have another lifeline,” Boykin said. “We’ve just got to take advantage of it. It’s a short turnaround, it feels like I’m in play-in games every year. We didn’t want to be in this position again, but here we are, you know. Let’s embrace the challenge in front of us at the end of the day. Love the competition, that’s what we do this for.”
The Jags and Bruins split the season series, with the road team winning both matchups. Wilson won first on Dec. 12 while Cabrillo got their revenge on Jan. 16. Fittingly, the combined score for both games was 121-121.
There will be no ties allowed on Wednesday night. Winner takes all.
