Jaguars Rally in Second Half to Reach State Quarterfinals

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Muhammad Singleton scored 18 points, Ryan Baker contributed 15, and the San José City Jaguars used a dominant second-half surge to defeat Modesto 75-65 in the 3C2A Northern California Regional Final on Saturday, punching their ticket to the California Community College Athletic Association State Championship quarterfinals.

Tied at halftime, 35-34, San José outscored the visiting Pirates 40-31 over the final 20 minutes to secure the regional crown before a home crowd.

Singleton, who connected on 3-of-4 attempts from beyond the arc, finished 5 of 12 from the field and went 5 of 9 at the free-throw line to pace the Jaguars. Baker was efficient and relentless, knocking down 3-of-5 three-pointers and going a perfect 4 of 4 from the free throw line.

Taj Royster was a force in the paint, going 4 of 8 from the floor and converting 6 of 8 free throws for 14 points while hauling down a team-high eight rebounds and dishing out four assists. Jeremiah Butler chipped in 11 points and six boards.

Off the bench, Savion Daniels provided a steadying presence, finishing with seven points, six rebounds and two assists, while Shaine Johnson added four clutch points down the stretch.

San José shot 40 percent from the floor and an efficient 85.3 percent from the free-throw line — going 29 of 34 at the stripe — a stat line that proved the difference in a physical, hard-fought contest. The Jaguars connected on 6-of-16 attempts from three-point range.

Modesto was led by Daniel Huerta, who poured in a game-high 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including three triples, but could not generate enough secondary support down the stretch. Chadwick Johnson added 16 points and a team-high six assists for the Pirates, while Darrion Lilly came off the bench to score 10 points.

Modesto shot 39.7 percent overall and struggled from distance, connecting on only 5 of 20 three-point attempts (25 percent). The Pirates also converted just 14 of 20 free throws (70 percent) — a costly inefficiency in a 10-point defeat.

With the victory, San José advances to the 3C2A State Championship Quarterfinals, where the Jaguars will face Southern California power Fullerton on Friday, March 13, at 1 p.m. PDT at College of the Sequoias in Visalia.

It will be a significant test for San José, but after Saturday's performance, the Jaguars showed they are capable of rising to the moment.