It may have taken overtime to finish the job, but the Gregori Jaguars ultimately got the result they hoped for on Monday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Bradshaw Christian 64-61. The victory was all the more spectacular given Gregori's disadvantage in MaxPreps' California basketball rankings (they are ranked 722nd, while Bradshaw Christian is ranked 356th).
It was another big night for Jayson Powers, who scored 39 points along with nine rebounds and four steals. The match was his 11th in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Zack Tooze, who scored 12 points.
Bradshaw Christian's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Josh O'neal, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and 14 rebounds. Those 14 rebounds set a new season-high mark for O'neal. The team also got some help courtesy of Caleb Carson, who scored 17 points along with seven rebounds and three steals.
Even though they lost, Bradshaw Christian were smashing the offensive glass and finished the game with 24 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
The win was the third in a row for Gregori, bringing their record for this year to 6-5. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 65.0 points per game. As for Bradshaw Christian, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 4-3.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Gregori will have some time to savor their victory since their next game is a little ways off: they'll take on Davis at 7:00 p.m. on December 21st. As for Bradshaw Christian, they will look to defend their home court on Thursday against Ben Holt College Prep Academy at 6:30 p.m.
