Jags fend off Stampede for Area Tournament title, 60-52

Thanks to an 8-0 run to open the game, the Northridge Jaguars got out in front of the Paul W. Bryant Stampede early and held on for dear life, never trailing and surviving a late threat to claim the AHSAA Class 6A Area 6 Tournament crown. The Jags built a 19-point lead at the half but had to weather several comeback attempts by the Stampede before claiming the 60-52 victory on the Stampede’s home court.

Northridge’s 8-0 run to start the game turned into a 10-6 lead after one quarter. The Jags’ eventual tournament MVP, Jalen Green, came out on fire for Northridge, scoring 10 of the Jags 16 first quarter points. Green picked up some help from Anderson Wilkin, Ryan Halperin and Adam Hall in the second quarter, en route to creating a 19-point lead for Northridge going into halftime. The Stampede did more than double their first quarter output, adding 10 to bring the halftime score to 35-16, after the Jags added 25.

Everyone in the stands knew the game was far from over and the Stampede confirmed that in the third quarter. The Stampede outpaced their entire first half effort, scoring 17 points in the third quarter. Northridge’s output dropped considerably, with the Jags only putting seven points on the board. However, the big halftime lead saw the Jags holding a 44-33 advantage after three quarters.

The fourth quarter alone was worth the price of admission. After dropping Northridge in their two regular season meetings, Bryant brought everything to the last stanza, in an attempt to make it a clean sweep of the Jags on the season. The Stampede cranked up the defensive pressure and got the home crowd excited with a couple dunks. But, Northridge fended off a couple runs by the Stampede, who chipped away and had the Jag lead down to five at one point. Green and Wilkin hit a few critical free throws down the stretch, helping to secure the 60-52 victory.

Green and Wilkin led the Jags with 22 points each. Halperin added seven and Adam Hall added three on the evening. Kyle Nunnally, Andrew Matthews and Jordan Suiter added two points each.

Halperin, Wilkin and Green were named to the All-Tournament Team, with Green claiming the MVP.

With the win, Northridge will host a sub-region game against the McAdory Yellow Jackets on Saturday at 6pm.