The562’s coverage of Jordan Athletics is sponsored by former LBUSD superintendent Chris Steinhauser.
For the second year in a row, the Jordan Panthers made a postseason run to the CIF-SS quarterfinals. This time, they were in Division 3A, jumping up in competition from the year prior.
Unfortunately for J-Town, that’s where their playoff journey ended, as they ran into a buzzsaw from St. Monica Prep on Wednesday night, falling by a score of 66-45.
“It’s disappointing. But it’s been a really good year,” said Jordan head coach Wesley Rosenbaum, who just finished his third season in J-Town. “I’m disappointed with tonight, but I’m not disappointed with this season. And the girls have grown so much, and we’re gonna keep growing. We’re gonna keep building this program. And I’m just proud of them.”
St. Monica Prep came into the game with superior size, and also shot the ball well on the road, led by a game-high 18 points from Sydney Ghobrial and 13 from recent Paramount transfer Kim Macias.
After Jordan took a 4-0 lead, the visiting Mariners rattled off 10 straight, leading 20-11 after the first quarter. They then started the second period on an 8-0 run to lead by 17.
“It wasn’t for lack of effort. We played a really good team tonight,” Rosenbaum stated. “They were clearly talented. You’ve gotta make a lot of shots to compete with a team with that much offensive firepower.”
After falling behind by 17, Jordan was able to go on a nice run to end the first half. Breana Patu had all six of her points during a 12-4 J-Town run, making it a 32-23 deficit at the half.
Unfortunately, J-Town could never make up much ground as St. Monica was able to connect on seven three-pointers to help quell any potential momentum for the Panthers. Things got worse when senior guard Bryanna Moran was injured during the third quarter and would not return.
The Mariners led by as many as 25 points in the second half, and will advance to Saturday’s semifinal round, hosting St. Margaret’s.
Jordan was again led by senior point guard Asia Edwards, who had a team-high 15 points in her final game. Her contributions to the program during her career have been invaluable, and her departure will leave a huge hole in the Jordan program.
Coach Rosenbaum reflected on his three years with Edwards as a player, all the hours spent working on her game and developing her into the unquestioned leader of this team on and off the floor.
“When I first took over in the summer right after COVID just slowed down, it was hard to really know what we had, but I knew one thing: We had our point guard,” Rosenbaum said of Edwards. “I knew right away that it was going to be her … And for three years, we couldn’t have gotten anywhere without Asia. She’s an incredible young lady, an incredible basketball player, and I’m proud of everything she’s achieved. She’s earned it. She deserves it.”
While it may have been a disappointing finish to the season, there’s plenty of positives to take from this season for J-Town. They finished third place in the Moore League, and proved they could win multiple playoff games in Division 3. Even with a solid senior class graduating this spring, there’s reason for optimism that the success can be sustained in J-Town.
“We’ve got some young players and we’re excited about the future, and it’s a lot to learn and grow from,” Rosenbaum said. “But I think a lot of people felt we should be proud to be in these new situations, but we want more. We want more. We’re competitive, and this program is going to continue to grow, we’re gonna keep striving year round, and we’re working our butt off until we get there.”
