LONG BEACH – Long Beach Jordan’s boys basketball team survived a fourth-quarter rally by Torrance to win 71-64 on Friday in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 4 playoffs.
The Panthers (17-13) appeared poised to rout Torrance as they had control of the game from the opening tip with their size, speed, athleticism. They also had timely 3-point shooting, all of which combined seemed to be too much for the Tartars to handle.
The Panthers led by double-digits throughout the game and their largest lead was 19 points in the third quarter.
But Torrance cut its deficit to 11 points heading into the fourth quarter thanks to a 3-pointer at the end of the period by forward Gibson Turner.
The Tartars (20-10) continued to chip away at the deficit in the final period. They went on a 14-5 run, led by guard Shane Stanfield and forward Bryan Gonzalez, to cut Jordan’s lead to two points, 58-56, with 3:47 left.
They clearly had seized the momentum from the Panthers.
Torrance had used its defensive pressure and rebounding to get numerous points on the fast break.
Stanfield made a layup with 2:32 left to tie the game at 62, temporarily stunning Jordan’s players and the team’s fans.
However, the Panthers struck back. Forward Aaron Chiles nailed a clutch 3-pointer that gave Jordan a 65-62 lead with under two minutes left in the game.
Stanfield, who had been trying to match Chiles hoop-for-hoop, missed a step-back 3-pointer on the next possession.
Chiles then made six consecutive free throws over the next 1:45 as Jordan closed out the game on a 9-2 run. Chiles scored all nine points for Jordan in the final two minutes.
Chiles finished with a game-high 21 points, with 11 being scored in the fourth quarter. He added six rebounds, five assists and five steals.
Long Beach Jordan forward @AaronChiles2 finished with a game-high 21 pts with 11 pts (8 FTs) coming in the 4th and scored the final 9 for the Panthers
He spoke of the blown lead but finishing strong and knocking out Torrance @SoCalVarsity @BeachVarsity @lbjordanbball pic.twitter.com/201GBF1YfW
— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) February 14, 2026
“I just have a team that trusts me, and I know I can go get it,” Chiles said of his scoring in the final minutes. “I know when to turn it on. I wish I could turn it on from the jump, and keep it rolling, but it happens. We’re on to the next.”
Jordan interim head coach Jamaul Huff, who is filling in for Chris Francis, spoke about Chiles’ growth as a player.
Long Beach Jordan interim head coach Jamaul Huff spoke about his team grinding out a win despite blowing a 19-point lead in the 2nd half against Torrance, the clutch shooting of @AaronChiles2, and the balanced effort in an intense win @SoCalVarsity @BeachVarsity @lbjordanbball pic.twitter.com/Y7SYtOfmb6
— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) February 14, 2026
“He’s been with us for four years,” Huff said. “He was on varsity last year, he was an all-league player. It’s just his growth all year.”
“He was getting tired in games earlier, then his brother (Aidan Chiles) came down and helped him get his body together, and he hasn’t been tired ever since,” Huff continued. “So he’s built for the fourth quarter and overtime. He’s just a great player, he does everything…He’s a very coachable player, and he’s doing everything we need him to do.”
While Chiles helped close the game out for the Panthers, there were others who also left their mark on the game.
Senior guard Amir Bowser finished with 17 points and knocked down five 3-pointers.
Junior Samajay Jackson added 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. He had some impressive dunks as well.
Junior point guard Malachi Burdette had 12 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals.
Torrance displayed resiliency and heart as it threatened to steal the victory from Jordan.
Torrance coach Andru Vaughan said it took a collective effort for his team to storm back in the second half.
Torrance head coach Andru Vaughn spoke about the tough loss to Jordan despite an amazing 4th qt comeback, how his team remained resilient while being short-handed, and how guard Shane Stanfield stepped up in the 4th qt to tie the game @SoCalVarsity @breezepreps @TartarsOfficial pic.twitter.com/GdmCXnqUq6
— Chris Camello (@Chris_Camello) February 14, 2026
“I couldn’t be more proud of my guys honestly. They’ve been fighters all year long,” said Vaughan. “We (had) … adversity we’ve had to overcome, including being down by 19 in the second half. And they said, ‘we’re not quitting,’ and I love these guys for it, they don’t ever quit. They just keep fighting and I love it.”
Stanfield and Gonzalez each finished with 16 points to lead the Tartars. Stanfield added four assists and three steals and Gonzalez grabbed five boards.
Senior guard Cain Hawkins added 15 points and four rebounds but scored just two points in the second half.
Turner finished with seven points, nine assists and six rebounds.