Wild Second Half Lifts Jaguars To Victory

Boulder Creek vs. O’Connor

Ohio State vs. Michigan, Yankees vs. Red Sox, Celtics vs. Lakers. Every sport at every level has its bitter rivalries. Here in Arizona, Boulder Creek vs. Sandra Day O’Connor is one of those huge rivalry games. It doesn’t matter what the records are or who is favored, this game will be filled with emotion and intensity. It’s a game where players must dig deep within to find the will to win.

In the first half however, the Jaguars certainly didn’t look ready to play their arch rival. Poor shooting, both from the field and free throw line, allowed a sharp shooting O’Connor Eagles team to take the lead. Boulder Creek played very poor perimeter defense and O’Connor found the open man beyond the arc for numerous three point baskets. Play was physical on both ends of the court and at the half O’Connor led 34-30.

In the second half the Jaguars offense continued to struggle from outside and had to grind it out inside for scores. O’Connor then imploded midway through the third quarter. Josh Braun took a cheap undercut foul on his way to a breakaway slam dunk attempt sparking a minor altercation. Then a technical foul was assessed on Eagle guard Jake Nicholas. By this time the large student cheering section got into the game and BC responded. By the end of the third quarter the Jags had gone on an 18-2 run and led 48-36.

In the fourth quarter emotions continued to run high. Following a foul on O’Connor that sent Johnnie Panfil to the line, the Eagles' coach went ballistic on the officials resulting in two technical fouls and his ejection. The raw emotion of that sequence lifted the Jaguars and they finally found their outside game. Stephen Crim hit a 3 to start the shooting blitz. Randyll Roberts then nailed two three’s, followed by 3’s from Tyler Whiley and Anthony Perri. At the buzzer the Boulder Creek Jaguars prevailed 73-54. Josh Braun again led the way scoring 21 points. Tyler Whylie chipped in 11 and Stephen Crim had 10.
It was great to see the size and enthusiasm of the BC student cheering section. They certainly contributed to the positive emotion that carried the Jags in the second half. It was also gratifying to see a number of former players return to Boulder Creek to support the team. Ryan Zettle, Jake Hunt, and Joe Simpson were on hand to cheer the team on.