On Friday, March 9th, the SJCC Men’s Basketball team’s season came to an end as they lost to the Yuba City 49ers in a game that could have clinched a ticket to the Elite Eight.

As home and opposing fans filed into the arena, tension rose palpably. The game began with physicality as each school battled to prevent scoring. Consequently, most of the game’s excitement arose from hustle and bursts of intense full-court defense. The Jags secured a six-point lead (36-30) by halftime but missed opportunities to stretch the score to a more comfortable margin.

In the second half, Yuba made defensive adjustments and switched to a zone defense, creating problems for the Jags. Locked down by Yuba’s zone, the home team went through a scoreless stretch lasting several minutes. It was during this drought that Yuba seized momentum, taking a seven-point lead. SJCC fought back in an attempt to retake the lead but never fully recovered. The final score was 59-68, with Yuba punching their ticket to the Elite Eight.

While the Jags may not be advancing, their season was far from a failure and, in many ways, is a comeback story.

The Jags’ season started with a poor showing in a preseason tournament where they went 0-4. Following these losses, the team’s energy was low, and morale was lacking. Coach Aye recalls asking starting guard Jacob Harper if he felt the team had a chance to make it back to the Elite Eight. Harper replied, “Hell No!”

“The culture wasn’t right,” Coach Aye said. He described infighting within the team and player rivalries that hindered their performance. The next day, he decided to focus practice on team culture and communication. “It was a complete breakthrough(…) [since then] the guys have been phenomenal, to the point where they are leading practices on their own.”

Coach Aye’s philosophy revolves around players reading the defense and reacting with the right decisions. He considers the Jags a player-led team and believes that if he has to be calling every play from the sideline, something is wrong. 

As the season unfolded and players became more confident in themselves and his coaching style, the team proved they could rely on their intuition to read opposing defenses and react accordingly. This player-led system contributed to a winning record of 20-7 and a spot in the playoffs. Once in the playoffs, they won their first game, earning them a seat in the Sweet 16. Ultimately, in what turned out to be their last game, the Jags were just nine points away from advancing to the next round.

After the loss, Coach Aye reflected on his team’s journey, “If you would have told me before the season we would have a chance at being a number four seed in NorCal, win 22 games, and take second place in our conference, honestly, I would have taken it.” Then, with the sting of defeat but the swagger of a promised sequel, Coach Aye gave his final statement of the year, “we will be back.” He then turned back towards his players and coaches, and walked into the locker room for the last time of this season.