The Jags conclude a great season with a down-to-the-wire loss to the Huskies

In their first CCCAA State appearance in 13 years, the San José City Jags played a Championship Quarterfinals single elimination game against the East Los Angeles College Huskies and lost 70-76, but not after a dramatic finish.    

At one point in the second half, the Huskies were leading by 17 points, thinking they would breeze through till the end. But the Jags were not giving up. With five minutes remaining and the Jags down 57-70, Coach Devin Aye called a timeout after a Jag's missed a layup and subsequent foul on the rebound.    

Coach Aye devised a plan for the Jags to pressure the Huskies with a full-court press. With their season on the line, the Jags had remarkable resilience and started to bounce back.   

The game's momentum shifted when Jurien Sparks recovered an offensive rebound and made a layup through contact for a three-point play. The Huskies' lead was now in single digits, and the Jags secured three consecutive steals, allowing them to cut the lead further.    

Jerry Jackson drew the defenders in on back-to-back plays and kicked it out to Jacob Harper, who sunk two open threes. Now trailing by just two points, 68-70, the Jags called another timeout to strategize how to continue this momentum and close out this game.   

On their next possession, the Jags carelessly turned over the ball, leading to an easy layup for the Huskies and ending their 11-0 run. Harper was fouled on the next play and made both free throws, giving him 22 points and bringing the Jags back 70-72.    

Coach Aye then switched out both Harper and Jordan Gill in favor of a more defensive lineup. With 50 seconds left, Mison Coilton stole the ball, and the Jags could tie or take the lead.   

The Jags decided not to take the timeout, and Harper, who had previously been clutch in these scenarios, remained on the bench. When AB Gilchrist drove to the basket, he missed the layup, but the ball got deflected to an open Jackson standing just beyond the arc.    

Jackson could not connect, and Coilton fouled out of the game, going for the rebound. The Huskies made both free throws to put them back up by 4 points with 18 seconds remaining. Gavin Wilburn pulled up from three but also missed the mark, and as the Huskies got the rebound, the Jags fouled them one last time to stop the clock. The Huskies sank both free throws again to end the game 70-76.   

Harper led all scorers with 22 points, including four 3's, three rebounds, and five steals. Wilburn added 12 points with two rebounds, six assists, and one steal. Gilchrist and Sparks combined for 9 points each.   

At the beginning of the game, Harper made a layup to give the Jags their only lead of the game, 5-4. The Huskies quickly took the lead back with a three-pointer, and they would hold onto this lead for the remainder of the game. Harper helped keep the game close, scoring 12 points with two 3's to end the first half 33-37.   

In the second half, the Huskies took their biggest lead of the night at 65-48 with 10:42 remaining. The Jags almost pulled off the comeback in the game's final minutes but came up short.   

The Huskies' height and length played a significant part in this game, as they had 38 rebounds compared to the Jags' 28. Twelve rebounds were on the offensive end, allowing them to get 16 second-chance points, while the Jags only had 3.   

This loss marked the end of the Jags' successful season. They won Coast-South Conference with an 11-1 record and ended with an eight-game winning streak. In 31 games, the Jags averaged 78.9 points, 38.3 rebounds, and 18.6 assists on 44.8% field goals, 33.7% in three-pointers, and 67.1% in free throws. For the overall season, the Jags went 24-4; in the post-season, they went 2-1, becoming a member of the Elite 8 in State.   

Gavin Wilburn was awarded Player of the Year in the Coast-South Conference by averaging 12.6 points, six rebounds, and four assists per game. Wilburn also made 1st Team All-League with Jordan Gill, Mison Coilton, and Jacob Harper.    

Jerry Jackson received All-Conference Honorable Mention, Coilton received 1st Team All-Defense, and Harper was awarded All-Freshman.   

With the conclusion of the season, the Jags will say goodbye to their six sophomores, but they are hopeful in their young core of seven freshmen, including Jacob Harper and AB Gilchrist, returning for the 2023-2024 season.