Defense! Defense! Defense!

By Juan H Estrada
Juanh.estrada@outlook.com

Defense! Chanted the Jaguars basketball bench in unison as they hosted the Lasers of Irvine Valley College for a tightly contested game of basketball. Strong defense and three-pointers secured the victory for the Jaguars.

Southwestern had possession of the ball first thanks to Kaleb Wilson winning the tip-off. The Jaguars did not waste time scoring first and second. Smart rebound recoveries along with bold takeovers allowed three-pointers by Derrien Carter-Hollinger and Jaylen Bandy early in the match.

"My philosophy: more shots, no turnovers," said Jaguars basketball Head Coach Tyrone Shelley. "I want shots, not turnovers. We are the more athletic team; we just have to speed the game up so we can play Southwestern basketball."

Bandy proved difficult for the Lasers defense to contain. With five min left in the first half, he continued to penetrate the Irvine defense with his agility and speed. Irvine Valley countered with a blatant foul. Bandy nonchalantly scored both of his two shots he was awarded.

Ayden Lockett punctuated the first half with a beautiful three-point shot from the corner. Lockett received the pass with less than four seconds left in the first. Less than a second later, in front of the Irvine Valley bench, Lockett turned towards the basket and took his off-balance shot fading away. The ball travelled the arch of a majestic rainbow, dropping successfully through the net as the buzzer went off.

Bandy and Lockett lead the Jaguars offense, each scoring seven points in the first half.

The second half opened with Southwestern continuing their offensive assault. Lockett continued to score, collecting another three-pointer. The Jaguars kept the pressure on the Lasers, building a comfortable twelve-point lead at one point in the match.

Diego Munoz and Quinten Vella teamed up for a slick play when Munoz nodded to Vella from underneath the basket. With this simple look, Munoz communicated to Vella that he needed a screen. Vella understood the request and became a barrier for Munoz who was sprinting towards the corner for an open pass. Munoz received the ball and buried the bucket successfully for three points.

Irvine Valley rallied but the Jaguars offense was too much to keep up with. Southwestern handed Irvine their first loss of the season, meanwhile the Jaguars enjoyed their second victory of this early season. Lockett led the Jaguars with twelve points on offense, while Wilson led the defense with ten rebounds.