SJCC vs LOS MEDANOS COLLEGE

San Jose City College hosted the Semi-Final Round of the 2010 CCCAA Men’s Basketball North Regional Playoffs on Saturday night. Having earned a fourth place ranking in Northern California after an undefeated league season and a 24-4 record overall, their opponent would be the thirteenth ranked Los Medanos College Mustangs of Pittsburg, CA. A 14-2 league record, 21-7 overall finished them second in the Bay Valley Conference. Head coach Derrick Domenichelli, a former Jaguar assistant under Percy Carr during the 1994-1995 season, took a moment before tip off to speak about what he still carries with him from his days at SJCC.

“We just have so much respect for Coach Carr, the kinds of players he brings in, the discipline of the program, the success he’s had over the years, of course. It’s beyond what we could imagine here, it’s really something that everyone has to look up to in this area. They’re the model program, really. We try to do a lot of things, not so much on the court necessarily, but with the consistency of a program, and how Percy runs a team, the discipline. It’s definitely been a model for us, as you see with a lot of his former coaches.”

When asked about this year’s Mustang men, Coach Domenichelli showed typical humility in praising a team that only lost one game in their league season. “We’re streaky. We can be really good, but we don’t always put it together, probably partly because we’re so young. We only have two sophomores on the roster, so we’re doing pretty well for it being somewhat of a transitional year. We’re not quite as explosive as (SJCC), we average about seventy points a game. We rely a lot on those two sophomores, and they’ve been absolutely huge for us.”

Domenichelli was referring to captains Tyree Murray and Joe Simpson, both of whom were all-conference selections, along with freshman center Corey Douglas. Murray, the Mustangs leading scorer at seventeen points a game, was the Bay Valley Conference most valuable player during his freshman season of 2008-2009. The Jaguars Neel Narayan found himself in a similar situation this year, winning a well-deserved Coast Conference MVP award. Other Jags to receive all conference first team honors were sophomore Isaiah James and freshman Quincy Hill. Another freshman, Shaheed Young, was named to the second team.

There was a playoff atmosphere in the air before the game, both teams knowing that SJCC was going into the game as a clear favorite, but also knowing that anything can happen in the postseason, with everything on the line. Tyree McCary got the nod at one of the forward spots for the Jags, and joined frontcourt mate Isaiah James as factors from the beginning of the game. James found McCary cutting to the basket with a pass from the elbow for the first points of the game. James himself scored from the low block on an ensuing possession. Both teams showed intense energy from the opening tip, racing up and down the floor establishing an almost chaotic tempo. The Jags press looked more aggressive than normal, suggesting it would definitely be a night of maximum physical effort on their behalf. There was urgency on the other end of the floor as well, as Narayan found Hill on transition for an early basket.

Los Medanos appeared to open the game in some form of a box-and-one defense with one defender shadowing Narayan while four other teammates divided up half the court into four sections. Later they would switch into a 3-2 alignment that may have been another page borrowed from Percy Carr’s book by Coach Domenichelli. The Jags came out in their 2-3 zone on defense, but it showed more activity than normal as well, with players closing out on shooters quickly, trying to block each attempt, and enforcing traps at the wings. Despite this, controlling defensive rebounds were still a problem, as they had been all year for the Jags. During the league season, SJCC’s approach of actively chasing rebounds rather than blocking out opponents rarely rose up to bite them as they often had enough of an athletic advantage over whoever they were guarding. Los Medanos, on the other hand, a physical team with an aggressive front court that plays bigger than it looks on paper, would prove to be a challenge on the boards all game long.

Isaiah James certainly couldn’t have worked any harder in this game. He appeared to have recovered almost completely from his recent ailments, showing his customary electricity, particularly on defense where his ability to sprint from half court to the basket to cover the vulnerable back end of the court on the press was reminiscent of an NFL safety racing across the field to help out with an open wide receiver who has beat his cornerback on a deep route. It is hard to say how many baskets he has prevented this year by being able to stay in a forward pressing stance until the last moment and still prevent open men streaking down the sideline from scoring. But his efforts were certainly a factor in keeping the Jags in this game, as Los Medanos was incapable of passing over their press for easy baskets as some recent opponents have been able to do. James also showed remarkable resilience on both ends of the glass, finishing with twenty-two rebounds on the game, an astounding twelve of them on the offensive end. What would turn out to be a slightly frustrating game for the senior captain as he was unable to convert on a number of those second chances and other shots around the basket he normally masters, his presence alone and thirst for the ball were emblematic of the type of contribution his team will be looking for if they want to advance deep into this postseason’s tournament.

Regardless of the energy they showed coming out of the gate, the Jags had a difficult time establishing an offensive approach in the first half. As is often the case when Narayan is not getting good looks or needs to take a few attempts to find his rhythm from outside, the Jags often appeared to be a team struggling for an identity on offense. The best solution to this problem is to run, and Quincy Hill forced the issue on a nice stretch of possessions that saw him putting the Mustang defense on their heels. Hill didn’t always wait for a miss to get the track meet going, once taking an inbound pass coast to coast to draw a two shot foul. Soon after, Hill got way up for a defensive rebound, turned to take the ball right down the middle of the floor, and used a behind the back dribble to get past a defender lurching for a steal. But like so much of the action in the first half, this was a perfectly executed play that wound up with nothing to show for it, as Hill found McCary for a tough miss on a lay-up.

With Narayan completely cold thus far and beginning to show his frustration, it appeared the Jags might have difficulty getting shots to fall the entire first half. Their swarming press kept them in the game, once causing a backcourt violation, as a Mustang ball handler was unable to find a way out of a triple team. Sooner or later, the Jags would make their inevitable streak, and Narayan was fittingly the one to kick it off for the first time in this game. He found Stevone Jones for a lay-up and a foul shot. After Jones completed the three-point play, Narayan stole the inbound pass and cleared it to Shaheed Young, and then raced to the corner, where Young fed it back to him and he iced the three. For the first time in the game, he started to look like the Neel Narayan SJCC supporters have come to know and love. This spurt pushed the Jaguar lead to 26-13 at 7:31. Unfortunately, Narayan would soon pick up his third foul, and spend almost the entire remainder of the half on the bench, saving his energy for a second half assault.

Los Medanos guard Joe Simpson would mount an assault of his own in the next few possessions, and he had a hand in the scoring, for better or worse, in each of the next few baskets. Upon receiving a pass anywhere in the half court offense, Simpson tends to put his head down and charge at the basket as if it’s a matador waving a red cape. It’s possible that the all-conference selection Coach Domenichelli referred to before the game was awarded to Simpson in football, as he would most certainly make an extremely effective short yardage tailback. For five straight offensive possessions, the ball found itself in Simpson’s hands. Without a moment’s hesitation each time, he broke for daylight with all he had, occasionally taking his dribble with him. He connected on two of the drives, a better success rate than he managed at the free throw line in the game, where he missed all four of his attempts. Simpson’s statistical peak for the night would come in turnovers, of which he recorded eight. SJCC were able to take advantage of Simpson’s relentless pursuit of the contested lay-up with a McCary dunk off a Young miss, and then a James put back after another Young miss, stringing together eight points off either failed shots or turnovers by Simpson. Lucky for Young, Simpson’s brief attempt to take the game into his hands obscured the fact that the freshman guard was having a particularly rough half in the scoring department. The trademark rainbow arc on his outside shot was there, but he seemed to be forcing his attempts a bit, likely feeling the excitement of his first collegiate level playoff game, and unable to find his usual silky calm demeanor.

One player who showed no sign of any ability to control his emotions was Los Medanos freshman guard Eric Brown, a seemingly inconsequential player if statistical columns are to be trusted, his only contribution to the effort being one foul. Brown was able to make his presence felt by loud cursing and tantrums each time he was subbed for in the first half. His best work all night was performed on one of the folding chairs that formed the visitor’s bench, which he kicked and threw to the floor in an eruption that came during a Los Medanos time out. The chair laid where it landed like a fallen soldier for the rest of the half, ignored by players and coaches like a relative who makes the entire family uncomfortable at Thanksgiving dinner. A minor stain on an otherwise classy program, and a surprising one, out of proportion with Brown’s importance to the team.

A potentially positive foreshadowing for SJCC’s chances in the second half occurred with less than ten seconds left when Jonathan Beene forced a turnover in the press and passed ahead to Young for a lay-up. Getting Young on the board for his first field goal just as the first half wound down was a welcome bit of reinforcement for the Jags as they headed into the locker room with a 38-27 lead.

It was a difficult half for the Jaguars, as they were incapable of getting easy shots in the post and off of second chances that they usually rely on for much of their offensive production. This difficulty, combined with only two field goals from Narayan and Young in the half, is evidence of just how much the team struggled in the first half, particularly in the half court offense. McCary deserves credit for keeping his team in the game by scoring all eleven of his points in the first half. The Jags overall intensity and commitment to defense gave them a comfortable lead at the half, but it would be too much for them to expect to shoot so poorly from the field for the rest of the game and still come out on top in the end.

The second half opened on a downer immediately, as the Jags gave up another offensive rebound on a miss by Douglas. 6’6” freshman forward Wesley Hanspard from Oakland Tech, who had already scored the first points of the half on a shot inside, hit the put-back and the foul shot for a three-point play. While Narayan continued to struggle, missing two threes from the left wing, Hanspard stayed hot, intending to single-handedly take back the lead for Los Medanos with a turnaround jumper in the post to cut their deficit to four, at 38-34.

If Coach Percy Carr’s team doesn’t start the second half with the kind of intensity he’s looking for, he will frequently call an early time out and attempt to regroup his team. Here he called one a mere 1:29 into the half, to give his team a tongue-lashing. Even that couldn’t seem to break them out of their funk, and things took a remarkable turn on the following possession as Narayan threw up an air ball from the left corner. Hanspard, who had played tough defense fronting Isaiah James in the post all night, kept it going on offense with a power lay-up from the left block. As the Mustangs pulled within two early in the half, Hanspard had scored the first nine points in the half. They would tie it up soon, but failed to attain a lead as Narayan stroked an eighteen footer from the baseline. It appeared he might be ready to break out when he recovered a turnover in the backcourt for a lay-up plus one. However, Los Medanos star Murray seemed determined to ratchet up his effort as well, hitting a three pointer from each side in the first five minutes. Despite this early success, the Mustangs would go to the well too many times on three pointers from Murray in the second half. He missed his next three attempts, one of which was put back in successfully by Douglas for a one-point lead. Murray heaved a brick from Neel Narayan territory way behind the line, and then connected on his next attempt from the right wing.

A potentially crucial moment followed when Los Medanos went with an offensive option that didn’t involve Tyree Murray catching and shooting a three. Wisely, they got the ball underneath to Hanspard, who went up strong, getting the shot and drawing a fourth foul on Tyree McCary. The Mustang lead stayed at one point as Hanspard missed the foul shot.

Meanwhile, freshman Shaheed Young was quietly putting together one of his best halves of the season. After Narayan stole an inbound pass and dished it to Young for the lay-up, he hit a three pointer on the next possession, and scored the Jags next basket as well, bringing his team within a point of Los Medanos’ 55-54 lead.

Needing to create some offense, SJCC ditched its standard three man attack for the more movement-oriented half court set involving lateral cuts, curls to the ball and use of a high post moved way up near the arc. It worked immediately. Lots of motion and quick passes led to an open three pointer for Narayan from the left wing that gave the Jags back the lead. On the next possession they worked similar action to the opposite side and Narayan hit again. The ball movement found Jones next, who scored off a wraparound pass from Quincy Hill. Suddenly, in a game which had seen them struggle to get good looks all night long, the Jags had a 62-55 lead, prompting a Los Medanos time out.

SJCC were animated in their full court press after the time out, immediately causing a turnover, then setting up the half court again to get Young a fifteen footer. Los Medanos had no reaction to the change in offensive approach, which led to scores on four consecutive possessions.

Despite struggling from the free throw line, the Mustangs had some fight left, and were able to close the gap to two points with a Murray three. But a truly ignited Young answered immediately with a three of his own, pushing the lead back to 67-62 with two and a half minutes to go.

Coach Domenichelli turned to an interesting strategy to gain some sort of advantage in a game that was no longer under his team’s control. His defenders were instructed to foul Isaiah James immediately, regardless of whether or not he had possession of the ball. It was an attempt to take advantage of James’ foul shooting, which has been shaky on occasion. Not a ridiculous strategy, the only impediment being that they had to put James in a headlock to get one of three referees to notice he was being fouled away from the ball. Los Medanos got James to the line twice, and he hit two out of four. They would continue to foul for the rest of the game, and the Jags converted seven out of eight from the line. The only chance they had to do any additional damage from the floor came with a minute to go when Jones came to the point to set a solid pick for Hill, who took it all the way in.

The Jags advanced to the final round of the North Regional playoffs with the 78-72 win, a score which may indicate a closer contest than actually took place. The Mustangs fought hard, and a spectacular game from Wesley Hanspard, who finished with eighteen points on eight of eleven shooting from the floor, kept them close. But as soon as the Jags began their run about twelve minutes into the second half, Los Medanos was unable to answer with anything other than casting off from long distance. SJCC, on the other hand, made an essential adjustment. It only lasted for a brief period, perhaps less than five minutes in total, but it was devastating in its effectiveness, and it allowed the Jaguars to show a capability in the half court offense far above what they normally display while waiting for a scorer to take over the game. It was an even effort between the starters, with Shaheed Young's sensational second half giving him the lead in total points with 18. They may have had to work harder than they would like against an inferior team, but nevertheless, the Jaguars move on to their next opponent. So far, they have been tested, but not bested.

recorded by Matt Hunter

Game Photos:

With one game remaining on their league schedule, the SJCC Jaguars traveled to Cupertino to face De Anza College on Friday night. On paper, it looked like a blowout, the undefeated Jags and the Dons representing both ends of the spectrum in the South Division. With one last hurdle to get past before entering playoff competition, the Jags couldn’t afford to look past this opponent, no matter how unthreatening their record suggested they may be. Preserving an unblemished league season and the conference championship was simply too important to come out with anything less than maximum effort.

Instead, the Jags came out sleepwalking through much of the first half. They showed little intensity on defense, never taking their hyped up opponent seriously as they waited for the moment when things would turn around for them and the game would become one they could easily dominate. After controlling the tip per usual, they immediately turned the ball over on a lazy crosscourt pass, perhaps shocked at the effort De Anza was putting into denying passes between guards. The Dons drew first blood with an easy transition basket by sophomore guard Darrien Broadnax from Westmont High School, who would prove to be a thorn in the Jags side all night.

Careless defense was a theme early, and a drastic difference between the way the Jags started their last game against West Valley, with suffocating man-to-man pressure in the half court. Friday night they began in a disinterested 2-3 zone with Neel Narayan taking the bottom right spot. Another early and easy basket for De Anza came on an inbound play when sophomore forward Daniel Mitchel waltzed down the middle of the middle of the paint for an easy lay up.

Seeing that things clearly were getting off on the wrong foot, Coach Percy Carr called an early time out less than two minutes into the game. Jaguar starters showed some increased intensity coming out of the timeout, particularly Quincy Hill, running the half court offense from the point. Their first score came when he broke down Drew Thompson off the dribble and took it all the way in. Stevone Jones looked ready to battle early as well, contesting shots on defense and chasing after every rebound at both ends.

Nevertheless, inattention on the defensive end continued to plague the Jags. They allowed sophomore guard Greg Patterson get behind the back of the zone for an easy alley oop basket, although he tipped the pass in rather than slamming it down with two hands the way Jaguar supporters are accustomed to seeing their players finish off lobs with. A turnover by Shaheed Young on an ensuing possession led to another easy basket by De Anza, and another early re-grouping timeout by Carr at seventeen minutes.

Sensing a lack of defensive urgency, Carr switched the approach to man to man, with the reasonable assumption that none of the De Anza players had enough quickness to beat their defender once shadowed by them individually. Again, the Jags showed a bit of promise directly after the timeout, with Isaiah James getting into the action on a nice piece of teamwork with Narayan, in which they passed it back and forth with a two on one numbers advantage, ending the break with the inevitable dunk by James. Hill went up strong with a put back after an offensive rebound, scoring and getting the foul, but missed the chance for a three-point play when his foul shot hit off the back rim.

Still slow to react on defense, the Jaguars went back into their overplaying zone with a lot of rotation, but were unable to win the battle for the paint. This was a disturbing development that characterized De Anza’s ability to stretch and maintain their lead early. Getting defensive rebounds was a problem for the SJCC bigs all night long. Their scoring picked up on offense a bit, with Jonathan Beene contributing eight points in the first half, but every time the Jags seemed to be in a position to take the lead back, some sort of mental error, like another Young turnover that lead to a lay up, would allow De Anza push their advantage further.

De Anza’s lead stood at 26-24 with eight minutes to go when Beene got his hand on a dribble. While he and the Don he was guarding dove after the loose ball, it was picked up by James and pushed forward to Narayan who waited for James to fill the lane will driving down the middle of the court. With James crossing the free throw line, Narayan led him with a perfect alley oop, which James slammed home for the tie after taking off eight feet from the basket.

Despite the animated reaction from the crowd every time James throws down one of his trademark jams, the Jags were incapable of building any momentum off of it. De Anza quickly took the lead back and then pushed it further by intercepting Tyree McCary’s inbound pass. SJCC again had problems defending inbound plays under the basket, allowing freshman forward Don Washington of Aragon High an easy lay up on an identical streak down the middle of the paint as the one that beat them earlier in the half. Such plays are a symptom of poor defense that hasn’t plagued the Jags since a contest earlier this season against Monterey Peninsula, in which they also seemed incapable of preventing easy chances off the inbound entry pass. Another uncontested transition basket by sudden star Walter Chappell pushed the Dons lead to 34-28 with five minutes to go, prompting another SJCC time out.

The Jags countered with a clever inbound play of their own, when Narayan showed a great look to Young for the score. When Narayan hit on his first basket of the night, a three pointer with four minutes left in a half which he had gotten mostly bad looks up to that point, it provided a reminder of how difficult it can be for the Jaguars to produce offense if Narayan has a cold spell and they aren’t pushing the ball up the court at every opportunity. SJCC went to their four-guard set for a little over a minute, which showed good ball movement, and allowed Jones a breather before he came back into the game for Beene with three minutes to go.

Switching back to man defense forced a turnover immediately, which didn’t lead to anything after a beautiful bounce pass from Narayan to Jones was wasted after the forward got hacked on his power move to the basket. Despite two De Anza defenders doing pull-ups off Jones’ shoulders on the play, the Dons got the ball out of bounds on the baseline. Shaheed Young kept the Jags close by nailing consecutive fifteen-foot jumpers from the same spot on the left wing. Even so, De Anza persisted in playing the role of the mosquito a horse can’t seem to slap away with its tail, taking advantage of putting SJCC into bonus early and continuing to get shots close to the basket, such as guard Drew Thompson’s reverse lay up with a minute to go.

It might have helped the Jaguars cause were they able to get into bonus before there were a mere 33 seconds left in the half. Then again, the way they were shooting free throws on the night, it might not have helped at all. A number of opportunities to go ahead on foul shots in the last few minutes of the half were not capitalized on. Jaguar bigs Jones and James showed a propensity to get to the line, and a glaring inability to take advantage once they got there, going a combined one for four. Even sharpshooter Narayan struggled at the stripe, connecting on only two of four. In fact, his half court buzzer beater that rimmed out as the clock ran down was as close to connecting as any shot he missed in the first half. The elated Dons went into the half with a 50-46 lead; seventeen of those points seemed to come out of nowhere, on a tour de force performance by sophomore guard Walter Chappell, who managed only five points against the Jaguars the last time the two teams met.

As is often the case when SJCC makes a lackluster performance in the first half against an opponent they ought to be handling easily, they came out in the second half with a renewed commitment to defense, going back to the man-to-man approach that has served them so well. They didn’t stay in it for very long, though, switching back to the zone with their tall lineup, featuring McCary and James, in the game at 17:43. Carr would struggle the rest of the half to find the right combination of players, making frequent substitutions, such as quickly giving Narayan a breather less than a minute in.

Nothing seemed to be working right for the Jags, as the overplaying zone defense that usually leads to turnovers and bad shots seemed to lead only to fouls. It was equally tough sledding on offense, as Narayan continued to force shots and De Anza took the opportunity to run on every miss.

Sensing a now-or-never moment when De Anza’s lead ran to 62-49, SJCC called another time out at 15:41. With Jaguar players clearly panicking and beginning to point fingers, it was difficult for anyone to get a word in edgewise in the huddle. At this crucial juncture in their season, sophomore captains Jonathan Beene and Isaiah James stepped up with harsh words that put the focus back on pulling together to find a way to victory in the last fifteen minutes. Veteran leadership had the Jaguars looking more determined at the end of the time out than they had previously in the night, and James put his money where his mouth was by scoring immediately from the post.

After Beene and Jones subbed in between two foul shots converted by Narayan, the Jags found the defensive combination they had been looking for. They joined James, Narayan and Derek Watson on the floor in an impressive two minute stretch in which the 3-2 zone and full court press finally slowed De Anza down, making it difficult for them to accomplish anything with the ball.

McCary and Hill joined the action just in time to see Narayan show why he is likely to be named conference player of the year. He got good looks and scored on three straight possessions, the last a three pointer which cut the De Anza lead to 65-61, forcing the Dons to call a timeout at 13:33. For the first time in the entire game, it looked like the tide was turning, that the Jaguar victory anticipated before the tip-off was now not only possible, but also inevitable. Perhaps sensing this, SJCC showed more effort on defense than they had all night, particularly off inbounds in their full court press, making De Anza expend effort just to get the ball into their offensive zone.

Defensive pressure mixed with smart possessions on offense, a highlight of the game occurring when Stevone Jones pivoted from the high post to find a cutting Derek Watson for a lay up. Sophomore guard Watson, whose unripened hi-top fade shows enough potential to prevent him from ever wearing a hat, ironically enough earned a hat trick in his final league contest, with multiple rebounds, a crucial blocked shot, and three points.

On a night when SJCC showed little desire for rebounding, Isaiah James took matters into his own hands by corralling Jaguar misses on two straight possessions and scoring on one put back, while getting fouled on the second. Unfortunately, neither of these efforts provided more than a tie, as perfect foul shooting in bonus by the Dons and two crucial misses by James prevented a Jaguar lead.

But it wouldn’t be long before Neel Narayan put his team ahead for the first time in the half on a three pointer from the left wing with five minutes to go. Then the Jags began to put the game away, as Narayan swished another three, and Young hit a tough lay up in traffic, drawing a foul. All of a sudden, with Young converting the free throw for a three point play, the Jaguars led by 84-79. They would hit two more free throws in the last few minutes, but had to survive a scare as De Anza made it close, with a final score of 86-84.

Despite clearly taking control of the game when they absolutely had to, the Jags showed a discomforting inability to run the clock down with less than a minute to go. Just as in the recent Cabrillo game, when the Jags needed one bucket to win, tonight they didn’t seem to have an answer for getting one last shot without giving away possession at the end. Luckily, this time they had the lead. In the end, it didn’t matter that they turned the ball over as Narayan tried to dribble the clock down for one last shot, resulting in a break away lay up from De Anza’s pesky Drew Thompson.

As the clock ran out on De Anza’s season, the Coast Conference champion Jaguars celebrated a hard earned victory on the court. However, credit is due the overmatched Dons for going down with a fight, particularly guards Walter Chappell and Darrien Broadnax, who exploded for the majority of the De Anza scoring output, with thirty and 20 points, respectively. Chappell, in what would be his last game at the community college level, scored at a Narayan-like pace, shooting eleven for fifteen from the floor to go with eight of eleven from the line. The fact that he reached his point total without attempting one three point shot in the game is evidence of how easy it was for De Anza to get open lay ups on the Jags defense for much of the game.

The Jaguars could offer a lot of excuses to explain why this game was as close as it was. They could point out that De Anza likely played the best game of their entire season on Sophomore Night at their home floor. They could say that the floor itself seemed to be slippery, particularly in the second half when a number of Jags lost their footing on drives to the basket. Of course, the Dons played the entire first half on the same end of the floor without any problems. They could say that every De Anza shot seemed to find a home while so many of their own attempts seemed to rattle around and off the rim. They would be right about that, anyone watching the game would have to say De Anza seemed to be getting lucky while SJCC continued to run in quicksand. But if it was bad luck that caused the Jags to go 13-29 from the free throw line, then one would have to assume that it was good luck that caused them to hit on 24-26 foul shots two nights ago against West Valley.

Regardless, the team deserves praise for coming together when they needed to most, and for pulling another victory out of the hat in a game they easily could have lost. Good teams win close games, and the San Jose City Jaguars didn’t lose once in their 2009-2010 regular season.

recorded by Matt Hunter

Game Photos:

On Wednesday night SJCC hosted West Valley College in what will likely turn out to be one of the biggest games of the 2009-2010 Coast Conference season. The Vikings of WVC were fresh off a close victory against Gavilan College that kept them solidly in second place in the South Division, with an 8-2 record in league competition. They came in looking at the contest as a must-win, in order to further cement their playoff hopes, but also with the intention of being the only team to upset the undefeated Jaguars in conference play.

After controlling the tip, SJCC showed good ball movement from their first possession, and sent Quincy Hill to the line for two foul shots, the first scoring of the game. The Jags came out in their usual full court press, but showed a different look in their half court defense. Starting the game in the stifling man-to-man defense that has worked so well for them in limited use recently proved effective right away. The Vikings found it difficult to get a shot off in time, tossing up contested jumpers in their first three possessions as the shot clock ran down on them.

The Jags, on the other hand, were getting good shots in their half court sets, despite not having any points to show for their effort in the first few minutes. Then Shaheed Young and Quincy Hill took turns setting each other up for easy shots in consecutive possessions. Young found Hill on the left wing for a fifteen footer, who then forced a turnover off the inbound, and passed to Young for a lay-up before WVC had a chance to advance the ball past mid court.

Coast Conference leading scorer Neel Narayan, who had been conspicuously absent from touches in the first few minutes of the game, scored from ten feet out, his first of what would turn out to be many field goals. After Matt Huggins got on the board with a bucket from the post, Narayan started to get it going, driving for a lay up and then hitting a pull up jumper off the break.

The Jags stayed in man-to-man coverage, with four defenders denying any passes, and a big man sloughing off his opponent by a few feet. This approach was particularly effective for closing out on shooters, as exemplified by Stevone Jones’ clean block of a Viking three-point attempt from the wing. The man defense continued to be effective against the frenetic, motion-heavy offensive attack of the Vikings, predicated on baseline cuts and curls to the elbow, often executed simultaneously. In fact, the WVC offense was at its best on broken plays or in transition, stretching the Jaguar press to its limits with aggressive passes that led to easy baskets ahead of rotation from the defense.

The Vikings took advantage of a defensive lapse by SJCC to go on an 8-2 run midway through the half, taking a 19-18 lead on a three point goal by sophomore forward Daniel Ginn. Ginn, who travels virtually every time he drives to the basket, would finish with twelve points on the game, receiving the benefit of the doubt from the officials each time he put the ball on the floor except for once.

The Viking lead would prove to be brief, and their only of the game, as Neel Narayan quickly returned the Jags to authority with a long distance three pointer from the left wing, making the score 21-19.

The Jags returned to their customary zone defense twelve minutes into the half, as opposed to the combination man/zone package they premiered against Cabrillo a few days earlier. This approach featured straight zone responsibilities and smothering traps at the wings, one of which forced a turnover that led to a perfect bounce pass from Narayan to Hill for a lay up going the other way.

A showdown between the most athletic player on each team occurred when WVC’s Isaiah Pfitzer, a 6’6” sophomore forward took on the Jag’s own Isaiah, as in James, attempting to give the power dunking big man a taste of his own medicine. James nearly blocked the one-handed attempt, which clanged off the side of the rim.

Despite contesting each outside shot, the Jags continued to allow Viking lay-ups on the defensive end. Nevertheless, SJCC was able to extend their lead via the hot hand of Neel Narayan. He scored ten points in three minutes on two threes that barely rippled the net on the way through, and a spectacular drive from the right wing, when he found himself isolated on a defender, slashing past him toward the hoop with the left hand.

Shaheed Young, always one of the most electric players on the floor, showed continued difficulty keeping the possession arrow pointing toward the Jaguars basket, when an errant entry pass trickled out of bounds. For much of the first half, it appeared that Isaiah James was still suffering from his bout with the flu over the previous weekend, as he labored to get up and down the floor, particularly in getting back on defense with his usual hustle. Just when it seemed like James didn’t have any spring left in his legs, Young lobbed him an alley oop right in his wheelhouse, which James quickly flushed with authority, getting fouled in the process and converting the three point play. Less than a minute later, it was Quincy Hill’s turn to set up the big man, as James pounded home one of his most impressive jams of the season, catching a pass on the way up with his back to the basket. The reverse two-hander gave the Jags a 50-38 lead as the final seconds of the first half ticked down.

The second half would be characterized by a number of imaginative substitutions and defensive matchups by SJCC coach Percy Carr. The Jaguars came out in the same top heavy zone they used briefly at the end of the first half, featuring three guards across the top and two big men splitting the bottom of the defensive zone between them.

Narayan and Young took turns hitting threes to open the second half, and then went on to handle all of the Jags scoring for the first eight minutes. It would prove to be a particularly productive half for Young, who showed some of his best outside shooting of the season in scoring eighteen of his eventual 20 points.

SJCC was slow to get back on defense, allowing transition lay-ups by freshman guard Jordan Gallagher and then sophomore Devon Mynhier, who would lead the Vikings in scoring for the evening with twenty.

The Jaguars got creative with their lineup, going with a four-guard front when Jonathan Beene checked into the game at the 13:40 mark. This didn’t create any mismatches or defensive issues for the Jags, as Quincy Hill, one of the team’s strongest rebounders, manned a bottom spot in the top-heavy zone. The four guard squad showed good chemistry on a transition basket in which Young pushed it up the floor to Hill, who got it to Narayan for the lay up.

Derek Watson and Stevone Jones subbed in for the more traditional arrangement of two forwards, two guards and a big man, but SJCC stayed in the 3-2 zone on defense. Despite a height advantage in the frontcourt, they still were giving the Vikings second and third opportunities after shots went up. Carr opted for more height, bringing Tyrone McCary into the game, making Young and Narayan the only swingmen on the floor with eleven minutes to go. With all of this size on the floor, the Jags went back to their staple 2-3 zone on defense.

Another wrinkle appeared on the offensive end, as SJCC set up various possessions with three players stacked on the low block, a point man and one at the elbow. Similar to an inbound situation, the clustered players cut to openings in the zone defense and look for a pass from Hill. Young worked particularly well from this pattern, delivering perhaps the most impressive play of the evening. He got off a three pointer from the left corner that went through despite being fouled. Young sank both free throws on a night he would shoot eight for eight from the stripe, thus converting a five-point swing off one field goal attempt. This gave him nine points in less than two and a half minutes, and pushed the Jags lead to 79-62 with seven minutes to go.

The best play for the Vikings came shortly after as Gallagher found Mynhier with a wrap around pass that culminated in a lay up. WVC coach Scott Eitelgeorge, the rare man who works the refs from the sideline more aggressively than Carr, found the officials to be less than sympathetic Wednesday night. He may have been left believing the great luck he had experienced earlier that day with the healthy arrival of his second child ended when it came to getting key calls in that evening’s game. The refs called twenty-one fouls on each team, and certainly called a better game than the crew working the SJCC-Cabrillo game from the previous Saturday afternoon, but Eitelgeorge was not to be placated. Whether or not anyone has ever seen the WVC coach and his stunt double, NBA head coach Scott Skiles at the same place and time, is another question, but it may be more than coincidence that they share the same first name.

The Jaguars gave their supporters a taste of what they do best, and a glimpse of how good they can be, with a little over three minutes left in the game. Narayan pushed the ball after a Viking miss, finding Stevone Jones for an emphatic two handed dunk at the end of the break that put an appropriate exclamation point on a game that was never really close for more than a few minutes in the first half.

After breaking down his man off the dribble, Hill got a shove on the way to the basket for two foul shots. He hit both shots, typical for the Jags on this night, who were masterful from the line, hitting on 24 of 26 opportunities for the game. Soon after, team assists leader Hill found James in the post for a high percentage bucket. The last Jaguar to score would be Stevone Jones, with a minute and 13 seconds to go, at which point the game plan shifted to running out the final seconds, sealing a 96-77 victory.

Overall, the Jaguars have to be happy with the game as a tune up for the postseason. The variety of defenses worked well, and there was little of the confusion that has occasionally plagued them in half court offense in recent games. They were aggressive without committing poor shot selection, and would have been able to sustain a comfortable lead even if Neel Narayan had not had such a sensational night. He ended up a mere two points shy of his career high of 36 points, recorded earlier this season against Hartnell. More importantly, he achieved this very economically, on fourteen of seventeen shooting from the floor, four for six from behind the arc. If it is possible to have a quiet 34 points, that’s the impression Narayan left, more surgically devastating than dominant.

The Jaguar bigs showed some fatigue in the second half, and weren’t quick getting back on defense, but the variety of packages tailored to personnel, and the effectiveness of man to man pressure in the first half made it a good defensive game despite the number of easy baskets allowed to the Vikings. With one game left to go in divisional play, the Jaguars seem a good bet to finish their league schedule untainted.

recorded by Matt Hunter

Game Photos: http://sjcc.edu/JagSports/mens/basketball/photos/Action/SJCCmbVsWstVllyFeb172010album/index.htm

Could there be an upset brewing as the Cabrillo College Seahawks arrive at San Jose City College to play the Jaguars in a Saturday afternoon contest? It looked like a distinct possibility as the Jags were suffering a spate of bad luck with sophomore captain Isaiah James suffering a difficult bout with the flu, unable to keep down any food or hydration before the game, and a likely scratch for the starting lineup. Compounding the quandary of not being able to rely on a leader who never fails to provide the most exciting moments of any game with his monster dunks, was the knee of power forward Stevone Jones, which had been troubling him all week long in practice. It looked like a rare opportunity for an intelligent team like Cabrillo to accomplish something no other team in the South Division has been capable of thus far in the league season.

Despite the potentially calamitous condition of the Jaguar bigs going into the game, the hot-button issue of the afternoon would involve the guards. This Saturday’s game was billed as a two-round middleweight bout between the most prolific scorers in the conference, SJCC’s Neel “No Conscience” Narayan and Cabrillo’s Tony “the Massachusetts Rooster” Gallo. Narayan would be looking to stretch his slim lead in the points per game average category, provided Gallo, the 6’0” sophomore guard from Lynn, Massachusetts didn’t have a breakout game of his own.

The half court offense of the Jaguars showed a lot more motion than normal, with posts cutting to the wings, offside wings cutting to the elbows, and a more pronounced use of a high post at the middle of the line. The story for SJCC early was sophomore forward Tyree McCary stepping in to fill the large shoes of the usual starting front line of Isaiah James and Stevone Jones. With the usual big men worse for wear going into the game, McCary took advantage of his start and the increased opportunity to showcase his skills by filling the void the best he could. He was ready right away, with three baskets in the first few minutes, including one particularly impressive drop back jumper from the post. He showed a different side of his game shortly, when he dribbled out five feet from the left block, and found Quincy Hill behind the rotating defense with a quick chest pass to the dead zone underneath the opposite side of the basket.

No team in the division relies on good passing more than Cabrillo, and they demonstrated this tendency frequently in the first half. Center Bert Hall beat the Jag press from the corner just across half court line; diagonally finding another freshman, guard Markus Duran in the opposite corner, who hit the open three pointer.

As their ability to make three point shots goes, so go the Cabrillo Seahawks, and going was good for the next few possessions. Another product of Cabrillo’s Massachusetts recruit pipeline, freshman guard Carlos Haye from East Boston, took a pass on the left wing and hit for three, his first points of the game. The catch and shoot approach was continued by Duran, who hit again from the baseline, this time in the opposite corner.

The Jags looked better in their half court set than the have the entire season, making the defense work much harder than they normally have to in keeping up with their usual three man set. Despite this, they didn’t have much to show for it early in the first half. That could be attributable to an inability to get the ball to their two main threats, Neel Narayan and Isaiah James, both of who were virtually non-existent on offense to this point.

Quincy Hill, as if sensing the Jaguar bigs would need help to keep up with their normal contributions in this game, began to get all over the boards early. The freshman guard’s game is not particularly dominant in any one area, but shows no discernable weaknesses, and is an indication of the type of player he could develop into during his sophomore season. The fact that Hill, at 5’10, is one of the team’s best rebounders is also a credit to Oakland’s McClymonds High School, and its well-earned reputation for turning out tough basketball players.

Neel Narayan got involved for the first time in the afternoon, hitting a three for his first points of the game deep into the first half, a development which could be interpreted a couple of different ways. Of course, it’s never a good sign if it takes an entire half to involve Narayan in the scoring effort. On the other hand, for him to have made so little a contribution thus far, and the Jags still making a game of it could be taken as a sign that things would have to improve in the second half.

One player who was certainly giving his team all the production they could ask for was 6’8” freshman center Andrew Young of Cabrillo. Final game totals of thirteen points and ten rebounds don’t go far enough in telling the story of how important Young’s contributions were to the Seahawks in this game. A good deal of Cabrillo’s half court offense tended to run through him cutting to the high post after passes to a wing, or to receive an entry pass there himself. He showed good hands and an ability to find open shooters throughout the game. Comparing his numbers to trigger-happy teammate Markus Duran’s four of thirteen from behind the three point line would suggest they should forsake the occasional baseline trey for a high percentage attempt from Young inside.

Ironically, the Jaguars half court offense became more effective as it was simplified. Struggling to get points, they went back to the comfort and familiarity of the three-man game with two posts working high and low. While this may have been an easier approach for Cabrillo to defend, it also made it easier for the Jags to get the ball into Narayan’s hands, where it needs to be for at least seven or eight attempts a half if SJCC intends to rely strictly on half court offense to get the bulk of their points.

Defensive intensity was not as dialed in as it has been on other nights for the Jags, as guards were picking up ball handlers in the back court, but without applying the amount of pressure they have shown in the past while in the press. Cabrillo may show an unrealistic reliance on the three point shot, but they are a good passing team, and the Jags switch to a 2-3 zone appeared to be tailor-made for their ability to get the drop on defensive rotations with skip and reverse passes finding the open threes. When the opportunity of a three pointer presents itself, the Seahawks are incapable of resisting it, and this seemed to be working for them in short stretches. At one point, it took them less than two minutes to string together a Gallo three pointer sandwiched between two three balls from Duran.

If nothing else, Quincy Hill was able to take advantage of long distance misses by Cabrillo, forcing the issue after rebounding a thirty foot miss by Duran and taking it all the way in for a coast-to-coast lay up. Jonathan Beene and Matt Huggins also provided quick bursts of contribution. Beene struck for a three pointer of his own, then on an ensuing possession passed inside to James, who spat it right back out to him for a fifteen footer. Huggins got hot next, throwing his weight around inside on a strong tip-in off a Jag miss. On the next possession, following another Duran missed three pointer, Shaheed Young found him for a fifteen footer from the left elbow.

Huggins’ contribution to the scoring column would be short and sweet, a perfect two for two from the floor. When viewed in the light of a contest that came down to the last possession, both would prove to be essential. The Jags showed a fighting spirit on their next few possessions, starting with a courageous drive by Young that ended with him head over heels on the floor behind the basket, the lay up going down, and a foul shot to spare. He hit the free throw for the three-point play, and then it was Hill’s turn to pay the price by taking the ball hard to the hole. He pulled up just short of a lay-up, settling for a fade away, but still drawing a two shot foul in the process. Hill iced the first free throw, but the second attempt banked off the back rim. What Quincy Hill did after the miss was emblematic of his performance for the entire game, and perhaps and enticing preview of what he could be capable on a day-to-day basis as a sophomore. Showing why he may be the best pound-for-pound glass cleaner the Jags have, he followed his own foul shot, struggled to gain control of the miss, dribbled out to reset the offense from his customary point position, and gave his team a chance to get at least two more points from his efforts. The fact that the Jags didn’t convert on the possession is beside the point. More importantly, Hill was starting to be acclimated with the variety of ways he is capable of imposing his will on a game.

An unfortunate incident occurred with twelve seconds left and the Jags down one point. James collided with the dribble of teammate Young, jarring the ball loose, which allowed Cabrillo to take it back the other way for an easy basket and potentially dispiriting three point lead. A ray of sunshine was found on the next possession, however as Narayan hit a trey from the top of the key to tie the score at forty-two points going into the half.

SJCC got off to a fast start in the second, scoring the first seven points of the half. Hill led the action again, scoring the first field goal and lobbing an alley oop to McCary for the dunk, as the Jags got back to what had worked for them in the first half. Soon after, he grabbed a defensive rebound, pushed it up the floor to Narayan, who got it in the hands of Stevone Jones for the transition lay-up plus one foul shot. Senior captain Jonathan Beene of Bellarmine College Prep cut across the baseline to receive a pass from Young for a score, one of many sharp passes the freshman would execute on the afternoon.

A disturbing trend during the entire game, but more so in the second half was the referee crew’s unwillingness to let the action be played out on the floor. It’s possible the refs were feeling some pressure due to the attendance of a member of the auditing board that rates their performance. Whether or not they were aware of this presence is no excuse for turning a well-played, competitive game into a free throw contest. Even the most minimal contact from inside by either team usually earned a whistle, making it difficult for an athletic team like SJCC to keep a rhythm going. Particularly galling were an over the back on McCary and a ludicrous push call on Narayan that led to free throws for Cabrillo. It’s called the charity stripe for a reason, and Cabrillo had their hands out ready for welfare, recapturing the lead at 57-55 with thirteen minutes to go.

Hill, as he would all day long, came right back with a big play, hitting a fifteen foot baseline jumper for the tie. Luckily, after another questionable call on a Jaguar big man, freshman Cabrillo center Brenden Evans missed both free throws. The Jags took the lead back when Young found Isaiah James for a dunk. The Seahawks continued to hold tough, tying it up at 61 on a three by Gallo. Giving up offensive boards, an issue that has plagued SJCC all season long, was particularly an issue in this game, giving Cabrillo multiple chances to score within single possessions. Fortunately, Hill was the beneficiary of a bad call, which gave him an opportunity to sink both ends of a one-and-one, before driving hard to the basket for a lay-up on the next possession. It was becoming distinctly clear that Hill was stepping up to make this game his own.

The Jags showed good patience and ball movement when it mattered the most, with a number of intelligent possessions leading to good shots, none of which connected. Despite their presence and good decision-making under fire, Cabrillo still managed to hang on to a 75-73 lead with 1:45 to go.

Both teams had been struggling to get points in the last few minutes, as the game had turned into an alternating battle of defensive stops with a liberal dose of foul shots mixed in. Particularly effective was a combination man/zone set the Jaguars went into in the second half. This allowed them to apply direct pressure to ball handlers and shooters while still allowing three men to hold down zone responsibilities and guard the basket. This may have been the difference in the game, as Cabrillo was incapable of swinging the ball from wing to wing and attempting open threes as they had for most of the game.

Things weren’t coming any easier for the Jaguars at the other end, managing only two points on two of four free throw shooting to stay tied with the Seahawks. Coach Carr called a timeout before their most important possession of a game tied at 75 points, recognizing how unlikely it would be for his team to get more than one good shot with less than a minute on the clock. The design called for Isaiah James and Stevone Jones to stack on the left block, Young to go to the free throw line, Hill at the point and Narayan on the left wing. Narayan made a couple unconvincing cuts to the block and back to the wing as Hill dribbled time off the game and shot clocks. Narayan joined the big men at the top of the low stack then cut quickly back to the wing for a pass from Hill, which was deflected by Duran. Narayan regained control and dribbled in place at the wing, surveying his possibilities, apparently not feeling strong about a three-point attempt and hesitant to drive into a cluttered lane where Jones and James remained at the block. With less than ten seconds on the shot clock, Narayan fired a pass cross-court to Hill who had floated to the opposite corner unnoticed. Unnoticed and unguarded, as his defender drifted toward the area between Narayan and Young, who had replaced Hill at the point. Hill caught the pass running and went right to the bucket. He missed a lay-up contested by Andrew Young, but typical of his performance for the entire game, got his own rebound and hit the put back to put the Jags ahead 77-75 with twenty seconds to go.

Predictably, the Seahawks went to Tony Gallo for what was likely to be their last possession. He managed to beat Hill off the dribble, and got bumped by Jones on his way to the basket. This incidental contact led to another horrendous call, putting Gallo on the line for two. Fittingly, the most crucial moment of the game would come at the free throw line, where the Cabrillo guard connected on the first attempt. With almost everyone in the gym anticipating an overtime period, Gallo surprisingly missed the second shot, which more or less wrapped things up.

Narayan was fouled on the other end, made both shots, and pushed the Jaguar lead to three points. So in the end, those in attendance were provided with a showdown of sorts between Gallo and Narayan to end the game. It came in the form of foul shots rather than head-to-head competition or a back and forth tussle of long distance shots, as was expected. If his last two freebies were any indication, Narayan showed why he has the edge over not only Gallo, but also every other player in the Conference, hitting both clutch free throws to the Rooster’s one. SJCC went to their aggressive full court press on the inbound one more time, and it worked, making it impossible to get the ball across half court until there was less than six seconds left. Cabrillo was left with nothing but a desperation three from the left wing as time ran out on a 79-76 Jaguar victory.

There was a little more emotion in the Jag’s on-court celebration after this one, as they may have been aware they got away with one, or at least that the game could easily have gone into overtime. It was an odd game in the end, one that would belong to neither of the marquee stars, Narayan and Gallo, but to Quincy Hill, with twelve rebounds, six assists to only one turnover, and nineteen huge points on eight of sixteen attempts from the floor. For the Seahawks, Markus Duran’s lack of compunction from behind the three-point line contributed sixteen points, but cost his team at least that many in missed shots.

Cabrillo’s most impressive player on the afternoon was freshman Andrew Young, who looks to be a bright spot in the near future of their program. Young was tough inside all night long without suffering more than one whistle from the refs, unlike every other big man who posted up in the game, and was a major factor in the Cabrillo half court offense, which can do some damage when it’s running right. Luckily for the Jags, when their attempt to set up a good look for Narayan appeared to be a failure at the most crucial moment, they were able to resort to what they do best, allowing superior talent to make plays. Perhaps even luckier that a savvy pass put the ball in Quincy Hill’s hands, exactly where it belonged on this afternoon.

recorded by Matt Hunter

Game Photos:

    The undefeated Jaguars returned to the court after a week without any scheduled games on Saturday afternoon, hosting Hartnell College of Salinas at SJCC. The Panthers came into Saturday’s action ranked third in the South Division of the Coast Conference, with a 5-3 record in divisional play and an overall record of 14-9. The first place Jaguars were looking for a similar outcome in this rematch of the January 13th contest in Salinas, which they won by a score of 87-54.

    Upon gaining control of the opening tip, the Jags asserted their authority on the first possession, resulting in an emphatic dunk by sophomore forward Isaiah James. On defense they retreated into their customary zone before adding the full court press a few minutes into the game. Jaguar sharpshooter Neel Narayan was hot early, converting his first three attempts, two of them for three points, while also pushing the transition game, always a good sign of success for the SJCC team. Forcing the issue with aggressive up court passing and hitting open shots allowed the Jags to jump out to a 12-5 lead early, causing Hartnell coach Andrew Vasher to call a time out.

    Putting a stop to the momentum with the timeout and focusing on a different approach proved effective for the Panthers, as they consistently beat the Jaguars press by passing out of traps and hitting their big men streaking down the sidelines for open lay-ups. Hartnell scored four unanswered field goals, and managed to cut the deficit to 14-11. Key to the Panthers offensive attack was the play of sophomore forward Blake Francom, who showed an ability to score against the press and hit shots from outside within their half court set.

    The pace of the game changed near the middle of the first half, as SJCC found it difficult to get back on defense in time to prevent easy baskets, while also showing an uncharacteristic inability to get entry passes inside to their big men in half court situations. The referees in Saturday’s game left their whistles in the locker room for the most part, which seemed to suit both squads well, allowing them to contest shots aggressively and attack the basket without any unnecessary stoppages in play. Isaiah James added to the physical play by slamming home two more monster jams in the first half, crucial in keeping the score close as the Jaguars’ shooting experienced a cold spell during stretches when Narayan was resting or unable to get good looks at the basket.

    Hartnell pressed this advantage into a 26-22 lead with 5:21 left to go in the first half. The Jags held them there as Narayan got after it again, hitting a long distance three to cut the deficit to one point. In their next possession, sophomore guard Jonathan Beene hit a clutch fifteen-foot jumper to take back the lead at 27-26, and the Jaguars wouldn’t be behind again for the remainder of the game.

    SJCC stretched their lead in the last five minutes by picking up the pace of their offensive attack again, with Narayan and Freshman guard Shaheed Young spreading scoring opportunities to four different teammates. Hartnell’s effective interplay of the high and low post in their half court proved to be effective against the SJCC zone, but wasn’t enough to keep up with the Jaguars quickness on transition as the first half closed out. Despite still shaking off the cobwebs from an entire week off from competitive play, and showing some inconsistency on both ends of the floor, the Jags nevertheless went into the locker room at half time with a 39-35 lead.

    Coach Percy Carr obviously made an issue of defense in his half time address, as the Jaguars came out with the most intensity they showed the entire game at the beginning of the second half. While the second half saw a much-improved effort in the full court press from the Jags, in one sense it began exactly the same way as the first. It appeared to be a dose of déjà vu when the first basket of the half again came on a James dunk.

    The increased defensive pressure forced the Panthers into mistakes, which in turn created easy baskets as SJCC immediately began to open up their lead. It was Shaheed Young’s turn to get hot in the opening minutes of the second half, scoring eight of his total twelve points. Perhaps the Jaguars most impressive defensive effort of the game came six minutes into the second half when they switched to man coverage and took advantage of quickness mismatches at every position to harass ball handlers and deny passing lanes. Hartnell, clearly flustered by the increased pressure, called a time out at 13:38, attempting to stop the bleeding with the Jaguars lead having grown to fifteen points at 56-41.

    The Panthers attempted a press of their own coming out of the time out, but it wasn’t effective in preventing ball movement. In addition, SJCC had a much easier time getting the ball into their big men in the second half.

    Sophomore forward Stevone Jones began to dominate the game about ten minutes into the second half. In the next six minutes he score fourteen of his total seventeen points for the game, including one impressive stretch in which he scored five points in a row in less than minute for the Jags, one field goal coming off an exceptional assist from Quincy Hill. Shaheed Young also set up teammates with good scoring opportunities throughout the half, finding sophomore forward Tyree McCary twice in a row for assists.

    The remainder of the game belonged primarily to Neel Narayan, and he chose to turn it into a personal shooting clinic. A highly contested three pointer, the most impressive of the eight he would convert on the afternoon, swished through the net with five minutes to go, causing Hartnell to regroup once again with a timeout. Two free throws from Young extended the Jaguar lead to 85-64, at which point the game was effectively over.

    Hartnell simply wasn't able to get easy back-door lay-ups by attacking the seams of the SJCC zone in the second half when forced to face man to man pressure. Despite the unfavorable outcome for Hartnell, freshman center Colton Burgon, the rare big man who doesn't look overmatched around the basket against the Jaguar front line, deserves praise for his hard earned 23 points. Neel Narayan, the story of the game with a career high 36 points, drained a couple more threes in the remaining two minutes to bring another resounding Jaguar victory to a close with a final score of 92-75.

   recorded by Matt Hunter

Game Photos: http://www.sjcc.edu/JagSports/mens/basketball/photos/Action/SJCCmbHartnellFeb62010album/index.htm

In the second round of playoffs, the San Jose City Jaguars faced the Mustangs of Delta College March 7th, 2009. A victory for the Jags would punch their ticket to the big dance in Fresno, California.

The Jaguars came out in the first half with power and dominance over the Delta, allowing zero tres, a shot that the Mustangs rely heavily upon. Neel Narayan left the first half with 10 points, followed by sophmore Quinston Reggins with 9 points. At the end of the first half, the Jaguars had a 31-28 lead over Delta College.

In the beggining of the second half, the Jaguars continued their aggressive play and seemed to pull away from the Mustangs, extending their lead to 10 points with 15 min left of play. But a couple tres by Delta, put them back into the game. With 10 min left in the second half, the Jaguar's leading scorer, Quinston Reggins, fouled out of the game and in seemed that that a shift in power had occured. The Delta Mustangs picked away at the Jaguars lead until took the lead and a heartbreaking 54-50 victory over San Jose City.

Despite the loss and the end to a great season, Neel Narayan lead the team with 18 points, followed by Quinston Reggins and Chris Randel who finished with 9 points apiece.

The Jaguars finished the season with a conference record of 11-1 and an overall record of 25-9.

Recorded by Coach Dustin Coleman

Game Photos:

The Jaguars first round playoff match was held Febuary 27th, 2004. Their opponent was Butte College, a ten seed that hails from Chico California. Butte is lead by Devon Hills, who averages 14 points a game.

The Jaguars lead Butte 37-30 in the first half, with Neel Narayan leading the Jags with 12 points, followed by Isaiah James with 10 points.

San Jose City continued their aggressive play in the secong half, never giving Butte to pull ahead throughout the whole game. The final score was 86-76 in favor of the Jaguars. Neel Narayan lead the team with 21 points and 10 assists, followed by Isaiah James with 20 points and 9 rebounds. Also helping the Jags was Quinston Reggins with 17 points and Brandon Criss with 11 points.

As they claimed victory, they also continue on the road to the State Finals in Fresno, California. Thier next match will be March 7th against Delta College in Stockton California.

Recorded by Coach Dustin Coleman

Game Photos:

Congratulations to the following San Jose City Jaguars who were honored for their accomplishments this season.

#50 Isaiah James- South Coast Conference Co-MVP

#14 Quinston Reggins- First Team All American

#42 Chris Randel- Second Team All American

Game Photos:

In a game that decided the seeding of the Jaguars in the upcoming playoffs, San Jose City fell short in their game against Ohlone Collegen (56-39).

The Jaguars played well in the first half, leading the Renegades by one at halftime (26-25), but at the start of the second half, the Jaguars crumbled. The Jaguars only scored 13 points in the second half. They were lead by Isaiah James finished with 13 points and 5 boards. Quinston Reggins finished with 11 points.

San Jose City's playoff opponent and playoff date will be added shortly.

The Jaguars are scheduled to play #10 seed Butte on Friday, Febuary 25th 2009 at 7pm.

Recorded by Coach Dustin College

Game Photos:

On February 13th 2009, Percy Carr and the San Jose City Jaguars earned their tenth South Coast Conference Championship with an impressive win over the DeAnza Dons (93-71). Neel Narayan lead the Jaguars in scoring with 20 points and 11 assists. Quinston Reggins was second, finishing with 17 points. Big men Isaiah James and Chris Randel controlled the paint and made the deciding factor between a blowout and a nail biter. Isaiah finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Randel finished with 14 points, 9 boards, and 7 steals. Brandon Criss played another outstanding game, contributing 11 points and five boards. The Jaguars face the Harnell Panthers in their last league game on Wednesday Febraury 18th.

Recorded by Coach Dustin Coleman

Game Photos:

For the first time this year, the Jaguars were in top form from start to finish in their game against Gavilan, Febuary 11th 2009. The Jaguars traveled to Gavilan College, coming off of a big win against West Valley, with a no nonsense attitude with a South Coast Conference Championship on the line. The Gavilan Rams, who despite having a rough season, beat West Valley (73-68) on the road. Ultimately, the Jaguars and their coaching staff realized this was not a game to be taken lightly.

The Jaguars dominated the game throughout, forcing 24 total turnovers and keeping the Rams to only 25 points in the first half.

Quinston Reggins lead the Jaguars with 19 points, followed close behind by Chris Randel, who contributed 16 points and Isaiah James who finished with 14 points. Freshman point guard, Neel Narayan, played outstanting offense and defense, finishing with 10 points, 11 assists, and 5 steals.

Even the bench helped the Jaguars to victory, as Derek Jenson played solid defense and finished with 2 points, and freshman Billy Dick finished with 3 points and 2 boards.

The San Jose City Jaguars swept the Rams with a 90-62 victory and became one game close to being the South Coast Conferense Champions. They will face the DeAnza Dons February 13th.

Recorded by Coach Dustin Coleman

Game Photos:

On February 7th 2009, the top two teams in the South Coast Conference faced off for the second time. After their first encounter, it was San Jose City that rallied a last minute victory over the West Valley Vikings (72-63). Now the Vikings met the Jaguars on their home turf to prove that their last meeting was simply an upset and a fluke.

But the Viking were mistaken as the Jaguars played a season best and all player seemed to have a top notch preformance. Despite Viking's Danny Nugent, who leads the team and finished the game with 20 points, the Jaguars control the tempo and the outcome of the entire game.

Neel Narayan and Quinston Reggins lead the team and finished with 15 points apiece. While big man, Isaiah James, was right behind with 14 points and a staggering game high 17 rebounds. Also supporting the Jaguars was Brandon Criss who finished with 8 points and Derek Watson, who started his first game this season, proved to be a force on defense and on the offensive and defensive boards.

The final score of the game was 65-54, and San Jose City continues their impressive season with only 4 games left until playoffs.

Recorded by Coach Dustin Coleman

Game Photos:

After a tough unexpected loss to Monterey Peninsula, the Jaguars were determined to battle back and prove that they were the top team in the South Coast Conference. The Jaguars traveled through the twists and turns of highway 17, to Aptos on Febuary 4th 2009. Their opponents were the Seahawks of Cabrillo, a physical, 3 point shooting team, who are currently third in the South Coast Conference with a record of 4-3 (league).

The Cabrillo Seahawks had a tough time converting tres when the game began. They went 8-28 fron tres land, with Tony Gallo leading the time with 4 tres balls. The game was tight throughout and when halftime was over, the game was tied 24-24.

The Jaguars played with intensity throughout, causing 18 total turnover for the Seahawks. Quinston Reggins lead the Jaguars with 14 points, including 3 tres. Chris Randel and Isaiah James finished the game with 9 points apiece.

With 20 seconds left on the clock, the Jaguars were up 57-55, with Cabrillo given one last change to win the game, but with a missed lay-up and a mad cramble to rebound the ball, it was Isaiah James who risked his already bruised body to bat the ball away. With that, the game finished with a Jaguar victory and one step closer to a South Coast Conference Championship.

Recorded by Coach Dustin Coleman

Game Photos: